Mother Nature: a tale of Chaos
by Nival Vixen
Summary: The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire & their reign of Chaos.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Author note:** The Tales of Chaos that are currently uploaded (_Heartless_, _Nature and fire_, and this one, _Mother nature_) are essentially unrelated. They all follow a similar story line: Will dumps/cheats on Layla, Layla turns evil with Warren, and they become the villainous duo Chaos. However, you do not have to read them all as a set in order to understand them, as they are all different stories.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter One

...

Layla Williams was Mother Nature personified. Some people just seemed to forget that Mother Nature could be an evil bitch. Nature could create living and growing things, and then in the next instant, destroy and take the very life it had created. Layla was no different.

Of course, she hadn't always been an evil bitch. She'd once been a naive teenager, who thought she was in love with Will Stronghold. With that same naivety, Layla had wanted to save mankind, woman-kind, the animals, and the rainforest. Then, something had happened and changed her. There were many theories as to what had happened; some people said that it was because of Will dumping her, other people said it was Magenta's betrayal when she started dating Will only days after he had broken up with Layla. All of the theories were wrong, of course, but Layla didn't care about their whispers.

The real reason she had changed had nothing to do with her friends, or ex-friends as the case may be, but all to do with her mother. She changed on the day that her mother died.

It was a sad irony to tell that Ms. Williams had been killed by a rodeo bull, one that she had been fighting to free and protect. The bull, which had been starved, prodded, and zapped in order to keep angry and therefore entertaining, hadn't been the most stable of creatures before this mistreatment. By the time Ms. Williams realised that the bull had been driven crazy, and didn't realise that she was speaking to him, he was already charging at her. She didn't stand a chance to get away, and despite the fact that the bull was quite thin compared to others, it was still emotional enough to send her flying across the pen. Even if she could have survived the broken ribs and internal bleeding into a punctured lung, Ms. Williams had no way of living after breaking her neck against the wooden frame.

Layla and her friends, who she had coerced, cajoled, and outright begged to help her with the protest, had seen it happening. Not one of them had been able to react in time, and the sickening crack that her mother made when hitting the fence had snapped something inside Layla as well. Seeing her mother's lifeless form slumped against the wood, she turned to the bull, prickly and thorn-covered vines caging the creature in an instant. Layla vaguely heard the others calling to her, but she didn't look at them. In seconds, the vine-covered cage pierced the bull, killing it. While she didn't have her mother's gift, Layla could have sworn she saw relief in the animal's eyes as it was finally put out of his misery.

"Layla!" Will said, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him.

He stepped back the moment he saw her eyes, something in them terrifying him. Or rather, something that wasn't there anymore.

"Dude, what's happening?" Zach asked.

Will turned to him, stunned at his friend's words, but then he saw that Zach was pointing downwards, and they all looked in the indicated direction.

On the ground, vines were circling around Layla's bare feet. Since it was a hot day, she'd dressed casually in a pair of shorts, and her usual green shirt, and had taken her shoes off at some point while they protested around the bullpen. The vines widened their path, pushing them all back one by one. Before anyone could do a thing, the green ropes shot towards Layla, seeming to enter her skin itself and travel beneath the layers. If they had any idea that it hadn't happened, the green lines that rippled beneath her skin rectified that train of thought immediately. They all followed the green lines that travelled up her legs, body, shooting down her arms, and up past her neck. The green continued on her face, making her look terrifying and beautiful at the same time. She was like a rose opening for the last time, before the petals fell and the thorns were all that remained.

Later, the other five would quietly admit that they had seen tiny vines moving through the white of her eyes, but for this moment, all they could focus on were her irises. They were changing from their regular brown to a bright green, brighter than any leaf or plant any of them had ever seen. Then, as fast as the vines had moved into her body, the rippling and vines seemed to disappear completely. Slowly, Layla's body relaxed, and when she opened her eyes, they were brown once more.

Will, it seemed, was designated the group speaker, and he licked his lips nervously before taking a step towards Layla. "Are ... Are you all right, Layla?"

She turned to face where her mother was, seeming oblivious to Will's question, and cried with all the force of a flooding rain.

He would never admit it aloud, even to the others, but Will was almost relieved at her reaction. The whole vine thing was just too creepy and weird for him to handle. Not that he could handle tears very well, but at least that was a **normal** response.

...

Layla was silent for days, and it seemed like the smallest thing would set off her tears. Around her, flowers drooped and lost their brilliance, and trees lost handfuls of leaves at a time; it was as if nature itself mourned with her.

At her mother's funeral, Layla stood with her back straight, staring blankly ahead. She didn't seem to hear or see anything, simply allowing her Great Aunt to lead her around. Her friends stayed with her, all dressed in black, even Zach and Ethan. For the most part, they were quiet as well, their eyes following Layla's wooden form as she was strung along from place to person, a puppet on a marionette.

Soon, the house began to empty as the mourners left individually or in small groups. The animals that had been in the house were taken by Ms. Williams friends and coworkers, and given new homes. Eventually, only Layla, her friends, and her Great Aunt remained.

Layla sat on the couch, staring at the junk food that had been put out, knowing how much her mother would have hated the fact that people were eating chips and drinking actual soda in her house. As she sat there, she heard snippets of the conversation between her Great Aunt and friends.

" ... live with me ... sell house ... can't live alone ... move schools ... normal life ... "

The words seemed to stab directly into her heart, and Layla sat there gasping for breath, her whole body shaking and trembling.

"No. No, no, no, no," she repeated, clinging to that one word between short gasps to fill her lungs.

A paper bag was held out to her, and she grabbed it, breathing heavily and calming herself gradually. Layla looked up to see Warren standing in front of her, and nodded her thanks briefly. He nodded once, returning to his seat.

"No to what, dear?" her Great Aunt asked, waiting until Layla had composed herself enough to take the bag away from her mouth.

"I still want to go to Sky High. Please, don't ask me not to use my powers. They've been part of me since I was four, and I can't **not** use them," Layla said, her tone pleading.

"But dear, I don't live anywhere near Sky High, and have no way of getting you to the bus in the morning. I'm sure there's a school closer to Westville."

"Please, don't take this away from me too," she begged.

Her Great Aunt faltered slightly, the dejected tone in Layla's voice making her teary as well. She hadn't been close to her niece in the past few years, having a differing view on her world views, and turning her nose up at the peace protests she'd gone to almost religiously. She hadn't seen Layla since she was a toddler, and it had been more of a shock to find that her niece had given her custody over Layla on her death. She wondered if she was nothing but a last resort, what with Layla's father running off before she'd given birth.

"I ... I'll see what I can organise with the Principal," she promised, silently hoping that this was the right decision for both of them.

...

End of the first chapter.

I hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Author note:** The Tales of Chaos that are currently uploaded (_Heartless_, _Nature and fire_, and this one, _Mother nature_) are essentially unrelated. They all follow a similar story line: Will dumps/cheats on Layla, Layla turns evil with Warren, and they become the villainous duo Chaos. However, you do not have to read them all as a set in order to understand them, as they are all different stories.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Two

...

According to Principal Powers, soon after Will and his friends had saved the school and world the year before, Sky High's admissions had risen considerably. It seemed that every fledgling super wanted to attend a school that had _freshmen_who could defeat someone like Royal Pain. As such, a new bus route was being organised (with the help of Ron Wilson, bus driver and giant robot fighter) to accommodate the students who lived on the border of Maxville and Westville. This was the area where Layla's Great Aunt lived, and so it was decided that the new route would be implemented sooner rather than later, as a way of thanking Layla for the service she'd done to the school.

Riding along on the bumpy road two weeks later, Layla still wasn't sure this really constituted as a way to say thank you. She looked out of the window, trying to ignore the pain with every bump and pothole they went over.

_Honestly, it felt like the bus driver was **trying** to hit them all!_

Going over the top of the hill and towards the city, Layla looked out of her window. From this altitude, she could see all of Maxville, the city's skyline littered with skyscrapers, and even her old neighbourhood in the distance. She shut her eyes, intent on keeping them closed until the bus left the freeway.

Her things had been packed and moved to her Great Aunt's house, all of her belongings fitting into thirteen boxes that were still stacked in the corner of the room that she still couldn't call her own. Layla's old house was already up for sale, the newest addition to Stronghold Real Estate. While it had been nice of Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold to offer to sell her old house without any cost to her, there was a coil twisting at the pit of her stomach at the thought of someone else living in the house that she'd lived in since birth.

The bus stopped, doors opened, and when she opened her eyes, Layla smiled briefly at the familiar face that appeared on the steps. Warren ducked his head so he wouldn't hit the frame, scowling at anyone who looked at him for too long, and headed to the back where Layla was sitting.

"Hey, hippie," Warren muttered, taking the empty seat beside her.

She simply nodded, not feeling up to talking this morning. He didn't seem off put or offended by her silence, and simply took a paperback out of his bag. As she had been for the past two weeks, Layla was surprised that Warren was able to read anything with the bus bumping the way it was, but didn't say anything about it, and closed her eyes once more.

The very first time he'd stepped onto the bus, Warren had seen her sitting in the middle area of the bus, looking extremely uncomfortable at how close the boy next to her was sitting to her. Warren had clenched his fists, barely restraining from decking the overeager boy, and with a growl, told her to get up, indicating for her to keep moving down the aisle. He'd glared at the two boys at the back of the bus, who had decided that the one long seat was better as a lounge, and within seconds of his fists flaming, the seat was empty. Layla had been crying all night and didn't have the energy to tell him off like she usually might have. They had the seat to themselves, and the next morning when she'd stepped onto the bus, the back seat was completely empty, despite there being quite a few students already on board. Warren had sat next to her when he got on, pulled out a book and started to read after a small greeting. It was easy to slip into a routine, and after two short weeks, Layla always made sure she was sitting in the back and there was room for Warren beside her.

From the corner of his eye, Warren checked on Layla. She was still dressed in black, her red hair braided back simply and there wasn't a hint of green to be seen. After more than a year of seeing the girl in nothing but green, it was still a shock to the system to see her in a different colour. She wasn't talking this morning, which meant another day of awkward silence in the cafeteria. At least she didn't look like she was going to burst into tears if someone spilled their milk today. Returning his attention back to his book - _god, where did this driver get his license?_- Warren attempted to read a page before getting to Sky High.

...

Will kept glancing at Layla every few minutes, his lunch becoming neglected and cold in the process. She didn't look up from her own food, trying to swallow everything even though it tasted like ash and dust in her mouth. When she took a long drink to wash away the awful taste, Layla noticed that Will was looking at her. She raised her eyebrow, waiting for him to ask whatever it was that seemed to be on his mind.

"Did you want to ... I mean, if you can ... or if your Great Aunt lets you..." he added, a slightly confused frown forming on his face.

"Geez, Stronghold, spit it out already," Warren said, rolling his eyes at him.

"Do you want to come over to study tonight?" Will finally asked.

"Oh, good idea. I seriously need help with that Hero History assignment. I swear, I'm reading the question and it looks like it's in another language," Magenta muttered, shaking her head.

Layla noted the slightly crestfallen look on Will's face, but she had no desire to correct Magenta's assumption that he'd been asking all of them, and nodded with a tiny smile, returning to her dust and ashes.

...

Stepping into the Stronghold residence quietly, Layla nodded politely to the Commander and Jetstream who were on their way to respond to an emergency call from the Mayor. She headed straight into the lounge room and sat on the couch across from Will, still staying silent.

"Bye Will, be good!"

"No parties this time!" the Commander added over his shoulder before his wife took hold of him and flew into the air.

"Never going to live that down," Will muttered, stabbing at his homework forcefully, putting a hole through the entire book. "Oh, great," he sighed heavily, pulling the pen out carefully.

"Hey Will, hey Layla. You haven't already started, have you?" Magenta asked as she came into the lounge room with Zach beside her.

Will looked up quickly, and Layla saw the guilt and surprise in his expression as he looked at her. It was obvious that he hadn't realised that she was in the room.

Layla looked up at Magenta and shook her head in response to her question. Ethan came into the room, grinning as he sat on the lounge across from the two girls. Zach sat on the floor, his long legs stretched out beneath the coffee table. Will stood up quickly, muttering something about finding another notebook before leaving the room.

"What's up with him?" Magenta said, sitting beside Layla.

She simply shrugged and opened her bag to get out her homework.

"Hey, Warren. What're you doing here?" Zach asked, seeing him standing in the doorway.

"Stronghold invited me. Thought I'd see what the great Stronghold residence was like," Warren replied, his expression indifferent, but there was something in his stance that made Layla think he wasn't entirely comfortable.

She smiled at him briefly, patting the empty seat beside her.

"Oh, hey Warren, you made it. Want a soda?" Will asked, holding out a can to him.

"No, thanks."

Will shrugged slightly, moving past him to sit on the empty seat beside Layla, setting the drinks in front of them. He took her hand in his own, resting their joined hands on his leg.

For a moment, Layla simply stared at their joined hands. _She didn't want to hold his hand_. It reminded her too much of her mother, taking her hand to cross the street when Layla was beginning primary school. _The time she'd been sick with the flu, her mother's hand in her own, while her free hand stroked her hair gently, feeling her forehead for a high temperature. Her mother's hands in her own, both of them singing and dancing to a cheesy song from the '80's_.

She tried to pull her hand away, but Will's grip instinctively tightened, his attention on his homework again. He squeezed too hard, crushing bones and bruising her hand, and _she did **not** want to hold his hand_!

"Ow!" Will cried out, letting go of her and pulling his hand away abruptly.

Layla flexed her hand gently.

"What are those?" Will muttered, peering closely at his hand.

He pulled something out of his hand, holding it up to inspect. It looked remarkably similar to a thorn. Using tweezers, Will pulled four more out of his palm, five drops of blood forming from the tiny holes. There was complete silence as they all stared at the five thorns on the table.

"Did you ... Layla, did you do this?" Will asked, looking at her.

Her face was pale, but she didn't say anything or respond in any other way. Warren's phone rang, acting as a catalyst for noise and movement to return. At the sound, Layla jumped up from her seat, grabbing her bag and leaving the house, not looking at anyone.

Seeing that the call was from Mrs. Woo from the Paper Lantern, Warren answered in Cantonese, his eyes looking to the way Layla had gone.

"Got an extra shift. See you tomorrow," he said after hanging up.

The others barely had time to answer before he left. Stepping out of the house, Warren frowned when he saw that Layla was nowhere in sight.

...

End of the second chapter.

I hope you liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Author note:** The Tales of Chaos that are currently uploaded (_Heartless_, _Nature and fire_, and this one, _Mother nature_) are essentially unrelated. They all follow a similar story line: Will dumps/cheats on Layla, Layla turns evil with Warren, and they become the villainous duo Chaos. However, you do not have to read them all as a set in order to understand them, as they are all different stories.

**Warning:** Just a quick reminder that this is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic scenes later on, in both torture and a sexual nature, and quite a lot of the chapters involve swearing. Please do not read if you're not comfortable with these things. I will put a warning for torture scenes at the top of the chapter if requested.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Three

...

"Hey, hippie."

At Warren's voice, Layla looked up at him, wondering why he wasn't in the cafeteria with everyone else. After she'd hurt Will with the thorns yesterday (she'd spent the entire night replaying it in her mind, and as she was the only one who could control plants, there was little to do but accept that she had injured her boyfriend for holding her hand), she'd run to the bus stop furthest away from Will's house, sitting on the kerb to wait for the next bus to her Great Aunt's house. As she'd sat there, all of the weeds in the concrete wilting, Layla decided to avoid Will for a few days. She'd apologise when it had blown over, when he wouldn't wince at the sight of her, or just be a jerk.

"Cafeteria's too noisy, came out here to get some quiet," Warren explained, moving to sit beside her on the wall.

She nodded in response, poking at her salad listlessly.

They were silent for a while, the only noise her chewing slightly (still tasting only ash and dust) and drinking afterwards to swallow, and Warren turning the pages of his book. Layla finished eating, putting her lunch bag back in her school bag to reuse tomorrow. Warren didn't seem inclined to look away from his book, and without a sound to protest his silence, Layla looked away from him and played with the hem of her shirt.

She was still wearing black, the colour making her look as washed out as she felt. Her mother probably would have wanted her to only think about the good times they'd had together rather than mourn and turn into a silent emotional basket case, but Layla couldn't **not**mourn. It might have sounded odd to others, but she'd truly loved and respected her mother. She had been her friend as well as a parent, and even the simple act of returning home to her mother's tired or smiling face was no longer an option. She would never be able to share a joke with her mother, laugh at something together, hug her, or watch her at work with the animals she had adored. The emotions twisted at her heart, as if thorns were piercing the organ until no blood or life remained.

"Ow! Careful there, hippie," Warren said suddenly, standing abruptly, brushing a vine away from the seat of his jeans.

Pulled out of her thoughts, Layla looked over to him, and saw vines sprouting out of the ground, simple weeds turned into something vicious. The vines were circling around him as they had done to her only weeks ago. She looked up at him silently, attempting to judge the expression on his face. Warren didn't seem concerned about the vines so much as the fact that they had almost pierced through his clothing.

The vines disappeared after a moment, Layla steadying her power and retracting it from the weeds. They returned to their original plant form, and moments later, with her head still filled of thoughts of her mother, the weeds completely died.

If Warren thought anything of it, he didn't say anything as he sat down next to her once more, simply opening his book again.

...

"Layla, is that you?" her Great Aunt called.

"Yes," she called back quietly.

"How was your day at school? Did you learn anything new?" she asked with a smile as she came out of the lounge room.

Layla shrugged briefly. "Not much, mostly revision," she replied.

"Oh, well, that's still nice," she said, faltering for a moment. "What would you like for dinner? I have fish or chicken? Oh, my. I'm sorry, I didn't think..." she said suddenly, remembering too late that Layla was a vegetarian.

"It's okay. I'll make my own," Layla replied, attempting a smile but if her Great Aunt's expression was anything to go by, she failed miserably.

"Are you sure?" she replied, her words hesitant but her expression relieved.

Layla nodded in response, going to the room that was still filled with cardboard boxes.

...

"I want a job," Layla announced a few days later at lunch.

"Take a number, that's what half the kids in here want," Warren muttered in return.

The others gave him scathing looks for not treating her like a porcelain doll as they were, but Layla simply smiled briefly, grateful for his response.

"Not as a super, just as a regular kid. I'm sure someone's hiring."

There was silence for a moment as they all processed her words.

"Please tell me you're not going to work at the mall unless it's a last resort," Magenta said suddenly. "I don't think I like you as much as I hate the mall."

"Um... Thanks?"

"What about school? Don't you want to concentrate on your schoolwork, or something?" Will asked.

"I can manage my time to get it all done," she replied, shrugging.

The rest of lunch was finished in silence, and Layla returned to her soot-flavoured food.

...

"Hey, hippie," Warren greeted her as usual the next morning on the bus.

"Hi Warren."

"An actual verbal response this morning. You must've slept well," he said, grinning at her.

"Something like that," she said, shrugging in response.

She had no idea why she was in such a good mood. She'd slept okay, considering it was only a few hours, but upon waking up, Layla had immediately felt like it was going to be a good day. It was actually a weird feeling to have after being depressed for three straight months. She was even wearing a black and green skirt this morning.

"Oh, were you still wanting a job?" he asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Yes. Why, is there something at the _Paper Lantern_? Can you even get employee discounts on Chinese food?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Must've been a _really_good sleep," Warren muttered to himself before answering her questions. "There aren't any jobs going at the Paper Lantern, and no, I don't get discounts on the food. But if there's a large batch of cooked rice left over at the end of the night, the staff are allowed to take that home free of charge… If Mrs. Woo doesn't catch us," he added with a slight grin. "The reason I was asking is because my mum works in the Mayor's office. There's some internship or apprenticeship going there, and I thought you might be interested."

"A government job? I don't know if I really suit that sort of thing. I was hoping for something more ... outdoors," Layla said with a brief frown.

"Well, there's always that guy's job," Warren said, indicating out the window to a man picking up trash on the side of the road. "Come on, it's _outdoors_. Just what you wanted," he said, grinning at her.

Layla rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. "You know what I mean. Something that can have an impact. And let me be outside."

"Yeah, and you're living in the wrong state for that sort of job, hippie. The hill the bus goes over every day is the closest thing we have to a mountain, and unless you count the concrete jungle, there's not much in the way of plant life... Besides, if you want to make an impact, where better than a government job? You'd get to work with the Mayor, meet activists, and if you're really good, you could be signing the Mayor's papers that affect decisions about animals and the environment."

"What?"

"You really think the Mayor even looks at what he signs these days? He's got the Commander and Jetstream protecting Maxville so there's all of the extra money floating around with the crime rate practically at zero. Just last week, he gave permission for a new skyscraper to go ahead, just so he can have Jetstream and the Commander at the opening."

"Really? How do you know that?"

"The Mayor approved the building and immediately had my mother send out the invitations," Warren said, grinning.

"Does he even know what the building's for?"

"Probably not," he replied with a shrug.

"So it could be the new super villain headquarters and he's going to invite the two most famous super heroes to the opening?"

"That'd be something. It'd be too easy," Warren muttered.

He kept his voice low and his gaze on the students in front of them. He wasn't concerned about what anyone thought, but since the Homecoming dance, Warren had actually been trying to take Principal Powers advice about not living down his father's reputation. If anyone heard him talking about super villains and capturing super heroes, then all of his work would go to waste. They'd probably start engraving his name on the cell next to his father.

Belts strapped them in, wings glided out and the single exhaust on the back of the bus changed into two large rocket-fuelled exhausts.

"It really would be easy. Especially if..." Layla's words were cut off by a gasp as the bus flew off the freeway.

Her stomach lurched at the sudden change of altitude, and she clutched the bar in front of her, her eyes shut tight.

They were silent for the rest of the trip, but Warren couldn't help wondering if it was a good or bad sign that he wanted Layla to continue talking.

...

After her classes in the morning, Layla decided that she didn't want her good mood to be spoiled by the overwhelming cafeteria atmosphere, and headed outside to eat her lunch. She knew that Will would probably think he was being neglected, but she didn't feel like seeing him today. Sitting on the retaining wall at the front of the school, she opened her brown lunch bag.

It only took a few minutes before she had company, Warren sitting beside her and muttering something about sulking super heroes. Layla grinned slightly and looked to him.

"Did I miss anything in the cafeteria?"

"Apparently Stronghold thinks that your absence from the cafeteria is some form of cold shoulder towards him, or something. I didn't ask for details," Warren muttered.

"Sorry for making you go through that."

He shrugged, grinning briefly. "I'm sure I'll live."

Warren contemplated asking about their earlier conversation, but decided against it. He didn't want to make things uncomfortable.

"So, about that job in the Mayor's office, do I need to apply for it, or can I just talk to your mum about it?" Layla asked.

"Apply for it, I guess. But my mum'll put in a good word for you if you talk to her." They were both silent for a moment, and then Warren continued. "I think you'd be good at that sort of job; gets you a step closer to changing things and seeing how they work on the inside."

"Yeah. It'll be great," she said, grinning. "Do you think she'd mind if I saw her today?"

Warren chewed, thinking it over for a moment. "It should be fine. She should be home early from work today."

Layla rested her head on his shoulder briefly, hugging him around the waist for a moment. "Thank you, Warren."

He stood up quickly, moving away so fast that she almost fell off the wall. "No problem, hippie. See you later," he said, leaving before she could get a word in.

Layla frowned slightly, looking at the wall in case she'd accidentally made vines grow again. There was nothing there. By the time she looked back up, Warren was out of sight.

Making his way straight into the bathroom, Warren turned on the tap and splashed his face with water. His hands were hot, making the water warm and not doing much to help him calm down. When Layla had put her arm around him like that, he'd just had a glimpse of them together, her body naked beneath his and a fire raging around them. It was a small glimpse, which was the only reason his entire body wasn't aflame.

Warren soon convinced himself that it was the product of an overactive imagination. Not to mention he'd been put off of anything remotely sexual after Freeze Girl put her hand down his pants and almost frozen his dick off, despite his body temperature being hotter than most. Warren told himself that he was just frustrated and he'd been reading too many novels, or watching too much TV with all of the objectification of women and whatever. He blamed everything and anything, refusing to contemplate the idea of liking Stronghold's girlfriend.

...

End of the third chapter.

I hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Author note:** The Tales of Chaos that are currently uploaded (_Heartless_, _Nature and fire_, and this one, _Mother nature_) are essentially unrelated. They all follow a similar story line: Will dumps/cheats on Layla, Layla turns evil with Warren, and they become the villainous duo Chaos. However, you do not have to read them all as a set in order to understand them, as they are all different stories.

**Warning:** Just a quick reminder that this is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic scenes later on, of both torture and a sexual nature, and quite a lot of the chapters involve swearing. Please do not read if you're not comfortable with these things. I will put a warning for torture scenes.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Four

...

Will knocked on the door, trying to calm his nerves. He was visiting his girlfriend, that was completely normal. Flying over to her Great Aunt's house after finding out her address from the school records? _Not so much_. Layla wasn't answering her phone, and he'd accidentally broken his by throwing it through the floor. He'd done the same action before, back when he didn't have powers, and it had simply bounced off the carpet. Now, it had put a hole through a layer of carpet, wood, and whatever else the floor was made out of.

_He'd have to take better care of things_... Will mused, remembering his mother saying similar things to his father after he broke yet another one of the TV remotes when his favourite team lost a game.

Besides, it was completely reasonable that he should see her. Layla was his girlfriend, and since she wasn't answering her phone, he was worried about her. Maybe he could find out why she hadn't talked to him all day.

The door opened, but it wasn't Layla. He smiled briefly, realising that he had no idea what her Great Aunt's name actually was.

"Hello, Will. How are you?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Good, thanks. How are you?" he asked, racking his brain to remember her name. He still came up blank, but she was already replying and didn't seem to notice.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. Layla isn't home yet, and I don't think she'll be back for a while. She's over at your friend's house. The one with the streaks?" she said, unable to think of the young man's name.

"Oh, right. Of course. I completely spaced on that. Sorry to bother you," he said, leaving before she could say anything else. It was way too uncomfortable having a conversation with someone whose name you'd forgotten.

Will made sure no one was around, running for a few metres before jumping and flying into the air. At least he already knew where Magenta lived.

...

Warren sighed, hanging up the phone from a conversation with his mother. She was running late, and the Mayor had just called an emergency meeting with all of his staff members, so she probably wouldn't be home for another hour or two yet. He explained this to Layla, but she didn't seem to mind at the delay.

"I'm happy to wait. If you don't mind, that is?" she added, watching him.

He did mind. A hell of a lot, in fact. He'd spent most of the afternoon trying not to think about Layla in her Homecoming dress. _One green strap fallen over her shoulder as he held the material up around her hips, her legs wrapped around him as he_... Realising that Layla was waiting for an answer, Warren hurried to stop thinking those types of thoughts.

"No, I don't mind," he said, thankful that his voice hadn't gone up a pitch.

"Great. Thanks, Warren," she said, smiling at him brightly.

He managed a small smile in return, immediately wanting to chastise himself. Or go have a very cold shower.

Layla didn't seem to notice, taking out her homework and resting her notebook on her knees. She looked up at him, frowning slightly when she saw he hadn't moved. "Are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

Warren nodded silently, taking a seat beside her and grabbing his own homework from the coffee table.

They worked together in silence for an hour. Warren had only looked up once, and on seeing Layla sucking on her pen, the plastic length sliding between her lips, he had immediately looked back to his own work and refused to look up again.

"You know what's really weird?" Layla asked eventually.

"What?" he asked tersely, still not looking up.

"Heroes and sidekicks. They never seem to work together to do anything. They work alongside each other, but they always seem to split up at one crucial point in order to do something or find someone. Of course, that's usually the point that one of them gets caught by the villains and the other one has to rescue them."

Warren looked up at that, wondering how this conversation reminded him of their one earlier that day. "Splitting up covers more distance," he said, shrugging. _Come on, that was the basics of hero training_.

"No," Layla said vehemently, shaking her head. "All it does is just create vulnerability. Together, you're more of a threat. Individually, you're just a person... I mean, Sky High encourages heroes to choose sidekicks that will complement their own powers, and they'll eventually come to rely on that person and their skills. By splitting them up, both the hero and sidekick can be overwhelmed by whatever they can't handle on their own... That's why there should be two corridors at any evil lair's entrance. It's fairly simple, really."

"Sounds simple," Warren replied with a nod, frowning slightly. "Too simple, though. I mean, not all heroes have sidekicks," he said, trying to think of an example. "Jetstream didn't have a partner until the Commander."

"Actually, that's not true," a familiar voice said.

Warren looked up at his mum and tried to repress the sudden feeling of guilt at the topic of conversation. He wondered how much she'd heard, wondering if she was looking at him and seeing his father instead. However, his mother simply continued talking and didn't seem fazed, so he doubted that she'd heard anything other than his last sentence.

"Jetstream did have a sidekick after attending Sky High. Poor girl was killed after being caught by the Spinner Sisters. Those two were as bad as bad could be. I think your father looked up to them at one point in his career," she added, shaking her head.

"What did they do?" Layla asked curiously.

"Besides kill Jetstream's sidekick?" she asked, frowning briefly. "Well, they tried to take over the city. They spun huge webs across the roads and buildings. No one could go anywhere. Luckily, most superheroes secret sanctum's have different exits from their houses... Turns out that the Spinner Sisters were vulnerable to bug spray," she mused, shaking her head at the memory. "So, Warren, are you going to introduce me to your friend, or do I have to continue down Memory Lane for the rest of the night?" she asked, grinning.

"Sorry, mum. This is Layla Williams. Layla, this is my mum," Warren introduced quickly.

"Hello, Ms. Peace, it's nice to meet you," Layla said, standing to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Layla," she replied warmly. "You're the one who wants the apprenticeship at the Mayor's office, right?"

"Yes, Ms. Peace, that's me."

"Why do you want the job?"

Warren watched as his mother sat across from Layla. There was an itching feeling at his head, making him want to leave the room as soon as possible. He stood up, both women oblivious to him. Going into the kitchen, the feeling disappeared immediately. Warren's hands erupted in an bright flash of flames. He hated it when his mother used her power on him like that. She could have just _asked_ him to leave, and he would have done it, but to be pushed out and betrayed by his own feelings was something he loathed.

It was one of the reasons that his parents had argued so much whenever they were together; his father screaming that she had forced him to feel something, her mother denying it and then in the next breath, threatening to make him feel those very feelings if he didn't stop screaming, to which he responded to with more screams. It was a never-ending cycle of screaming, fire-fuelled emotions and broken rooms.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Warren waited until the flames disappeared before getting things out to cook dinner. He hoped Layla was going well at her first test to get the job.

...

Will landed down the street from Magenta's house and walked up the path to her house. He could hear laughter coming from the front yard, and grinned slightly when he saw Magenta running after her brother, spraying him with water from a long purple hose.

"Hey, Maj," he called, waving a hand to her.

Magenta paled slightly, the hose limp in her hand. "Will! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Layla. Is she around?"

"No," she replied with a frown. "I haven't seen her since this afternoon at school."

"Oh," Will said dejectedly. _Maybe Layla's Great Aunt had been lying, and she just hadn't wanted to see him after all_.

"Come play!" Magenta's brother called, grinning up at Will.

He grinned back at him, opening the gate and stepping inside. "What are you playing?"

"Water dragons!" he replied excitedly, tugging on Will's hand, happy that he had another person to play with.

"So, do the dragons fly?" Will asked, dropping his bag by the gate.

"No! They're _water_ dragons, silly! They swim!"

"Of course they do," he said. "Oof!" he called out in surprise as Magenta's brother squealed and ran away, still pulling on Will's hand.

After the initial surprise, Will let himself be pulled along, laughing as he gently picked the boy up to run away from a water-wielding Magenta faster.

It wasn't until Magenta's mother called out for them to come in for dinner that Will realised he'd stayed longer than he meant to. As he went inside, he bumped into Magenta. He apologised quickly, suddenly noticing just how wet they both were. He could see every curve of her body, and _oh, no_. _That was a very bad thought_.

Magenta was Zach's girlfriend (or maybe it was wishful thinking on Zach's part. Will wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was, and somehow doubted that Zach knew either), and it was extremely bad to be noticing things like curves, even if her clothes were clinging to her. He looked away quickly, and was subsequently hit in the head with a purple towel.

"Come on, Will. You're going to freeze to death if you don't get warm. Dinner's getting cold," Magenta called, turning and heading back inside.

She chewed on her lip anxiously, the urge to become a guinea pig almost overwhelming her, as it hadn't done since she was too young to handle her emotions. In those days, she'd run around as a small unnoticeable creature for hours on end the moment something made her too emotional. She'd learnt how to control herself better since then, and now separated her emotions so she could live normally. But now... Now, she'd noticed the look on Will's face - _the boy had his emotions on his sleeve, honestly_! - and she'd immediately felt overwhelmingly guilty about Zach. While they weren't girlfriend-boyfriend per se, they were still _something_... And despite not wanting to admit it, Magenta had been looking at Will just like he'd been looking at her.

When Will was as dry as he figured he was going to get, he went out to the front to get his bag and text his parents that he was at a friend's for dinner. He didn't specify which friend, pushing away his guilt as he headed to the back garden to enter Magenta's house for dinner. Will found that he'd been more comfortable hanging out with Magenta for the past few hours than he'd been with Layla for months, even before her mother's death. He'd actually been leading up to breaking up with her during one of the awkward and uncomfortable silences they'd been having, but had stopped himself. Will enjoyed having someone to kiss and walk hand-in-hand with. As with taking years to admit that he didn't have powers to his parents, Will wasn't big on confrontation. Besides, Layla had just had a huge loss in her life, and probably couldn't handle another one.

"All right there, Will?" Magenta asked, grinning up at him.

_The purple streaks in her hair really looked nice_, Will thought to himself, nodding in response quickly. He took the seat beside her, trying to ignore the warmth of her leg against his. He accepted the plate of meat, a small relief to be able to eat it without Layla's disapproving look across from him.

Will pushed away all thoughts of Layla, of Zach, and enjoyed himself for the first time in too long.

...

Layla smiled at Ms. Peace, trying to ignore the prickling feeling in her head that made her want to spill her deepest and darkest secrets.

_This was Warren's mum, and why on earth was she more nervous about meeting this woman compared to her first meeting with Jetstream? Was it because she'd been too young to understand the severity of meeting another super?_ Layla wondered, immediately dismissing the thought. _She'd always known exactly what it meant to meet Jetstream, Will's mother. This was something __**different**_.

The prickling sensation became worse, and Layla noticed the intense look of concentration on Ms. Peace's face. _She was using her power on her!_ she thought, the realisation accompanied with many emotions, but she wasn't shocked or indignant at the intrusion. In fact, there was a kernel of intrigue mixed along with other emotions, making her wonder if Ms. Peace did this to every person she met, and how interesting it would be to see how far her powers could be pushed against a person to make them reveal every single thing about themselves. If she was a super villain, then one of the first people she'd recruit would be this woman.

"What are you thinking about?" Ms. Peace asked casually.

The sensation in her head became worse, and Layla almost doubled over in pain. Her hands shook and she tried to repress the trembling. She immediately knew that she couldn't tell the truth. She'd never get a job working for the Mayor with those sort of thoughts. "I was thinking about my mother."

She almost sighed in relief when the pressure disappeared, and Layla frowned slightly when she saw Ms. Peace's expression. It was a mix of horror, pity and an ounce of regret. She wondered if she'd ever regretted using her power before.

"I am so sorry, Layla... Do you think she would have liked you working for the Mayor?"

This time there was no desperate need to answer the question, and Layla relaxed slightly. "Well, he wasn't her favourite person, considering the amount of local deforestation that happened in order to put up a new skyscraper," Layla said, and kept her grin in check when Ms. Peace's eye twitched slightly. "However, I think that my mother would have liked that I was attempting to do something positive and helpful in my own way. If it was the wrong choice, then she would have let me discover that on my own, but she was always supportive of me and my choices."

Layla clenched her hands tightly, and she could feel something just beneath her skin, something waiting patiently and growing until the right time. She had no idea what _it_ was, but she instinctively knew that it had something to do with those vines that had entered her when her mother died, as well as the thorns she'd hurt Will with, and the vines that had circled Warren earlier. Whatever was inside of her was special, and she had to keep it a secret. _She would keep it safe and it would protect her_...

"Your mother sounded like she was a wonderful woman. I'm sorry I never had a chance to meet her."

"She was a wonderful woman," Layla agreed quietly.

Warren knocked on the doorframe, looking hesitant for a moment. "I've finished dinner. Are you ready to eat?" he asked, looking to both of them.

"Yes, thank you, dear. We'll eat at the table," his mother replied, standing and indicating for Layla to go first.

Uncertain of where to go, Layla was grateful when Warren nodded his head towards a door, and went in the indicated direction.

To her credit, Ms. Peace didn't say a thing when her son served a simple bowl of mac-and-cheese to them. Layla's cheeks reddened slightly as she realised that he'd done it for her. Will had never done something like this; he'd always pulled faces at the salads and vegetarian meals she ate, scoffing his own meat-filled plate while judging her. She'd assumed it came from his parents, who had continued to offer her bacon, eggs, and the like despite knowing her mother's power all those years.

"I don't mind if people eat meat while I'm with them; you didn't have to do this, Warren," she said quietly.

"Just say thank you, hippie," he said, rolling his eyes as he sat down next to her.

"Thank you."

Ms. Peace grinned slightly, starting on her meal. It had been quite some time since she'd eaten mac-and-cheese, and while she was sure she'd go for a cheeseburger later, it was amusing to see her son taking someone else's feelings into consideration.

After dinner, Ms. Peace had insisted that it was too late for Layla to catch a bus home, and offered for her to stay over, adding that Warren could sleep on the couch. Despite her initial protests, Layla soon found herself calling her Great Aunt to let her know that she would be staying at Warren's home for the night. She felt slightly guilty when she was told that Will had come over looking for her, but the emotion was overcome by the opportunity to get a job. Deciding to text him to let him know that she'd see him at school tomorrow, Layla did so and then pocketed her phone. With that settled, she went to go argue on the sleeping arrangements.

"I don't want to kick Warren out of his own bed, Ms. Peace. I'd feel awful about doing that to him, and I'm sure that the lounge would be much more comfortable for me than him," she added, looking up slightly at Warren's taller stature.

"It's fine; I'll sleep on the couch," Warren said, scratching at his head briefly.

"Please, I insist. I'll be far more comfortable out here than in a strange bed. Really, Ms. Peace, I promise I'll be fine," she said, pleading with the woman one last time.

There was a very long moment of silence, and then, for the first time in years, Warren watched as his mother relented to another's request.

"Very well then. But Warren will make up the couch for you, so if you're **not** comfortable, then you'll have someone to blame," Ms. Peace said, her tone leaving no room for discussion.

Not wanting to push their luck, both Warren and Layla nodded in agreement. After her long day at work, Ms. Peace said that she was exhausted and went to bed, telling them not to stay up much longer so they could be refreshed for school in the morning. Warren grinned at Layla slightly, heading to the linen cupboard to get sheets and a blanket for her.

"Are you sure you'll be all right on the couch? I really don't care if I sleep on it," he said as he helped set up the bedding.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're a whole foot taller than me, Warren. You wouldn't fit on here comfortably. Besides, I refuse to throw you out of your own room," Layla added. She frowned slightly. "Where is your room, anyway?"

"At the end of the hall."

"Can I see it?" she asked, grinning.

Warren was startled at her request, and tried to remember if his room was clean or not. He shrugged slightly, following her down the hall to his room.

Layla stopped in front of his door so suddenly that he walked into her, his hands on her waist as he steadied both of them. Warren's eyes closed for a brief moment as he breathed in her scent - _honeysuckle and a heady grape-vine scent that he'd never smelled before, but immediately known_ - and he hurried to open his eyes and let go of her when he realised what he was doing. Layla flushed slightly, but she hadn't moved or pushed him away.

They were both silent as Layla opened his door, and Warren stayed back as she stepped inside. He liked the idea of her in his room far too much. _Layla on his bed, or pressed up against a wall, his hands on her body, her hands on his body, kissing each other as the heat consumed them_.

Layla looked at everything with interest, noticing that all of his furniture was black. She wasn't sure if they were burned that way, or originally that colour. He had no posters on his walls, but there were remnants of blu-tac and sticky tape, as if everything else paper-based had burned away. A small stack of books were in the corner, a bucket of water in front of them. Dark red sheets and a similarly coloured bedspread were on his bed, much neater than she had expected.

"What do you think, hippie?" he asked with a slight grin, leaning against the doorframe.

"I love it," she replied with a brilliant smile.

"Really?" Warren asked in surprise.

"Really," she replied, nodding. "It's so ... you," Layla said. "Which sounds really corny, so ignore that... What's the bucket of water for? To put out any fires?"

"No, I can put them out myself if I choose to. The water protects the books. If a blaze gets this close, then the water boils instead of the books catching on fire."

"That's a really smart idea," she said, impressed.

"Thanks. Found out by accident when I was doing the dishes at _Paper Lantern_ early last year."

"Do you light fires accidentally often?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Not usually, but sometimes my emotions can get away from me."

"I know what you mean," Layla murmured with a nod.

"Your power doesn't seem very emotion-based," Warren said, choosing his words carefully.

"No, but my emotions affect my power, just as yours does. I mean, you saw what happened with Will just because he held my hand when I didn't want him to."

"Would you do the same thing now?"

"What?"

"If someone held your hand? Would you do that thing again?"

"I ... I don't know," Layla said, looking down at his hand for a moment. "I can try, see what happens."

Warren held both of his hands out, waiting patiently for her to take them. She did so hesitantly, wincing slightly as she expected to sting him with thorns. Nothing happened, and Layla opened her eyes, looking at their clasped hands in surprise.

"Do you trust me?" he asked after some silence, their hands still joined.

Layla nodded. Warren grinned at her apprehensive look and their hands lit up with flames. She stared, but didn't cry out. The fire wasn't burning her or painful in any way. In fact, it seemed to wash over her skin like stepping into a bath.

"Can I try something?" she asked hesitantly, looking up at him, the shadows of the flames dancing on their faces. "Do you trust me?"

This time, Warren nodded in response. Layla looked at their hands for a moment, thorny vines wrapping around their hands. The fire continued to burn, and before their eyes, tiny green buds began to grow. At Layla's insistence, Warren put more heat and energy into the flames, and the buds burst into bloom, brilliant red, black and green flowers encircling their hands. Slowly, they both let their powers fade and Warren inched closer to Layla, her eyes closing in anticipation.

"Good night, kids! Sleep well!"

They jumped apart, Layla's face red and Warren letting go of her hands as if he'd been scalded.

"Thank you, Ms. Peace! You too," Layla called back. She turned to Warren, her face still red. "I'd better go now. Good night, Warren," she said, smiling at him briefly before leaving.

"Good night," he said after her quietly.

The door shut with a gust of hot wind, and inside a fire raged. Sleeping on the couch that night, Layla used a few plants to keep her cocooned and comfortable, the black, red and green petals as soft as feathers.

...

End of the fourth chapter.

Hope you liked it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Warning:** Just a quick reminder that this is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic scenes later on, of both torture and a sexual nature, and quite a lot of the chapters involve swearing. Please do not read if you're not comfortable with these things. I will put a warning for torture scenes.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Five

...

Despite waking up with crumpled hair, Layla told herself that she wouldn't let things be awkward with Warren. She straightened out her gym shirt the best she could, not wanting to wear the same shirt to school for a second day in a row.

Warren had come out, looked at her for a moment, and immediately returned to his room. She frowned slightly, wondering if her hair really was that bad. When he'd come out a few moments later with a black shirt for her, offering it silently, Layla thanked him and hurried to the bathroom to put it on before he changed his mind.

Neither Ms. Peace nor Warren were morning people it seemed, and Layla had come out of the bathroom to find both of them holding coffee mugs. She'd accepted the offer for juice and a slice of toast reluctantly, and only because she needed to eat. Warren had sat across from her with a piece of toast for himself as well, but mainly drank the coffee instead of eating. Soon after she'd finished the coffee and looked somewhat alert, Ms. Peace bid them both farewell and left, her car pulling out of the driveway moments later.

Warren tried not to look up at Layla sitting across from him; the erotic dreams he'd had the night before still lingering in his mind. _Layla had been naked before him, a vine the only thing wrapped around her. When he'd tried to burn it away, the vine had burst into bloom. He'd moved to her, the flowers falling away as they kissed, her fingernails digging into his shoulders_. It had been so realistic that Warren woke up with sore shoulders. And a raging hard on.

He'd taken a shower as cold as he could handle, trying not to think of Layla on the other side of the door, her body covered with nothing but a light blanket and plants. And then, after everything, he'd come out of his room to see her in that ridiculously light-coloured gym shirt that he swore he could see right through. He knew that he wouldn't be able to control himself, and had immediately found his cleanest and darkest shirt for her to wear instead, one that covered her shoulders as well. Instead of making it better, it had made his thoughts worse... _Now he was imagining Layla in one of his shirts, the material sliding up her thighs as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him_.

"Do we need to leave soon, Warren?" Layla asked, pulling him out of his imaginings.

He glanced at his watch, nodding quickly. "We've got to run."

Layla hurried to take their plates and glasses to the kitchen, a vine wrapped around the glasses so they wouldn't fall in her rush.

Warren picked up her bag, slinging his own over his shoulder. Layla met him at the door, taking her bag from him with a quick thanks and stepping outside. It took him a moment to lock the door, and they ran down the driveway, onto the path and down the street to the bus stop.

The bus was just pulling up as they rounded the corner. Warren swore softly, grabbing Layla's waist, lifting her and running towards the bus. When they were close enough, Layla threw out a vine, wrapping it around the bus' side mirror, pulling them in quicker than Warren was running.

She let the vine disappear back into her body, feigning innocence as she stepped onto the bus step, Warren behind her and glaring menacingly. The bus driver kept his eyes straight ahead, a tick in his jaw indicating that he wasn't happy. The door closed behind them, and the bus took off before they'd moved to their usual seat. Layla rolled her eyes, hoping that the driver now thought them to be even. There were no more incidents, and Warren eventually stopped glaring, taking a book out of his bag to read.

...

Layla's phone began to ring as she left the classroom for lunch, and she indicated for the others to go ahead, escaping outside by the closest door to have some quiet in order to answer the call from Ms. Peace.

"Hello, Ms. Peace. Fine, thank you. How are you?" she answered politely, her foot tapping out her nerves.

The conversation was short, and as she listened to Ms. Peace talk, Layla's heart and hopes began to sink.

"... You have until 5pm tomorrow to think about the offer. I really hope to hear back from you soon, Layla," Ms. Peace added.

"Thank you, Ms. Peace. I will think about it, thank you," Layla said automatically, hanging up from the call after saying goodbye.

Slipping her phone back into her pocket, Layla tugged on the shirt's long sleeves nervously before heading back inside to grab her lunch and head to the cafeteria.

...

Magenta definitely _wasn't_ thinking about Will's leg against her own, her skin seeming to tingle pleasantly at the places their knees were touching. She'd hoped and worried at the same time that Will wouldn't sit next to her, but he'd arrived soon after she had and had taken the seat next to her as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Zach sat on the other side of her, Ethan sitting next to Will. It had become routine for them to sit on one side with Warren getting the opposite side of the table to himself, unless Layla sat in the cafeteria with them. Today, as usual, Layla was the last one to arrive.

Magenta definitely wasn't hoping that she would eat outside, leaving her to sit beside Will without feeling guilty. _Of course she wasn't_. She moved away from Will slightly when she saw Layla enter the cafeteria.

Magenta absolutely, definitely was **not** thinking about Will's lips, or the way he'd looked at her after they'd kissed just last night. She wasn't imagining kissing him again, his lips soft against hers as she clung to him, amazed as he flew them above her house, kissing her with all the time in the world... _Definitely not_.

She frowned when she realised that she finally recognised the large, long-sleeved black and red shirt that Layla was wearing. Magenta was fairly sure that Layla had been wearing that same green skirt the day before too.

"You're wearing Warren's shirt," she said suddenly, her eyes wide as she stared at Layla. "It's been driving me nuts all day, but just then when I saw you walking across, I recognised the shirt because that's what Warren wore when he and Will had that fight in the cafeteria last year," she said.

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed Magenta's words. Ethan looked over to the wall where the plaster and paint job was still fairly obvious. Zach frowned slightly at Magenta's sudden explosion of fast-paced words. Will stopped drinking his juice and simply stared at Layla, looking from her shirt to Warren.

"Why **are** you wearing Warren's shirt, Layla?" Ethan asked, frowning at her.

Across from her, Will was staring, his expression a mix of confusion, suspicion, fear and some other emotions he couldn't even put a name to.

"I went over to Warren's house last night to talk with his mother about a job in the Mayor's office. I ended up staying later than expected, slept on their couch, and this morning, Warren gave me this shirt to wear since my gym one was crumpled and my other shirt smelled," she explained, her words and tone clear, no hint of remorse or guilt in her expression.

She had done nothing wrong, and therefore, had nothing to feel guilty about. _She just wouldn't mention or think about the almost-kiss_.

"You ... you kissed him, didn't you?" Will said, glaring at her. He didn't dare glare at Warren, and kept his gaze focused on Layla. "I can't believe you'd do that, Layla! You're supposed to be my girlfriend, and then you go around kissing my best friend behind my back!"

Layla looked stunned at his words, the entire cafeteria going silent at his accusations. Across the cafeteria, a chair scraped along the floor as a boy stood up, a smirk on his face.

"Actually, Stronghold, you're the one in the wrong. You kissed Magenta behind your girlfriend's back, even though you knew ... _Zach_ liked her," he said, looking at the paling blonde boy. "Don't try to lie when you're sitting in the same room as a telepath, idiot," the guy called, grinning when noise exploded in the cafeteria once more. He took his seat once more, his friends congratulating him.

"Will? Did you _kiss_ **Magenta**?" Zach asked, his voice as hurt as his expression. He turned to Magenta when Will was silent. "Maj? Is what that guy said the truth?"

Neither one answered, keeping their gazes firmly on their lunch trays before them. Looking helpless, Zach looked to the others sitting with them. Layla was simply staring at Will and Magenta in shock. Ethan looked extremely uncomfortable and shocked as well. Warren looked over to the telepath across the room, telling him _exactly_ what he thought of him, before turning to his crushed friend.

"That guy is an asshole... He loves to fuck around with people by telling the truth when they don't want the truth known. Sorry, dude, but he's probably right," Warren said as sympathetically as he could manage.

Layla stood up, looking a little lost. She glanced at Will, opened her mouth, as if going to say something, but then shook her head and turned around, leaving the cafeteria without a word.

Zach left moments later, rubbing at his eyes and only just managing to walk out of the doorway without banging into the door itself. Ethan was silent as he melted down and slid away, trying not to be noticed.

"That guy's an asshole, Stronghold, but you know what? You're worse," Warren said, grabbing his bag and leaving.

He kept his thoughts purposely vague so that the telepathic asshole couldn't pick up on his own guilt. But hell, at least he hadn't acted on it.

Will and Magenta sat side by side in the cafeteria, their faces burning as everyone around them talked about them.

"Hey," Warren said quietly as he approached Layla.

She looked up at him, her eyes full of tears.

"Shit, Layla, don't cry over him. You said it yourself last year: he's a jerk," he muttered, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders.

She leaned against him, slow tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Is... Is Zach all right?" she asked eventually, wiping her tears away on her sleeve. "He's really a good guy, and he doesn't deserve this," Layla said.

"I don't know. I figure he's in the bathroom, but the light in there is so bright that I couldn't even open the door without it hurting me."

"That's interesting," Layla said, sitting up straighter and clamping her hand over her mouth. She lowered her hand slowly, staring at Warren with red eyes. "What's **wrong** with me? He's in there, probably going through the worst emotional pain he's felt in sixteen years, and I'm saying it's _interesting_ because his powers have changed? There's something seriously wrong with me," she whispered, shaking her head.

Warren was silent for a moment. He couldn't agree with there being something wrong with her, because he'd be lying if his thoughts hadn't strayed along a similar thread on seeing the bright light beneath the door.

"So... Have you heard from my mum yet?" he asked, hoping to change the subject completely and take her mind off her own emotional pain.

She sniffed slightly, wiping her eyes on the shirt again. "Yeah, before lunch. Apparently, the Mayor's very impressed with your mother's description and first impression of me, but..." Layla sighed softly before continuing, "But, I need to be a Hero, not Hero Support, in order to work for the Mayor. Something about his image and positive thinking of Heroes. It's ridiculous, of course, but I won't get the job if I'm not classed as a Hero."

Warren rolled his eyes. "Sounds about right. The Mayor's an elitist, and he went to an all-Hero school back when they existed, so he's biased towards Heroes, and never hires sidekicks."

"Could've mentioned that before," Layla muttered briefly, grinning when he nudged her.

"Why? You've impressed my mother, and she's the first person to get through in order to get any job in the Mayor's office. Besides, after Homecoming last year, you could get onto the Hero track faster than you could click your fingers. I'm surprised you weren't automatically transferred," Warren added with a slight frown.

"I told Principal Powers not to transfer me. I wanted to stay a sidekick."

"Any life-altering reason why?"

Layla sighed heavily, picking at a loose thread on her skirt. "I thought that by staying a sidekick when I've got powers more suited to a Hero, I'd be able to break down the wall between the two tracks," she said.

Warren was silent for a long moment. "That's the second-stupidest thing I've ever heard you say, hippie. All you're doing is holding yourself back by not properly learning how to use your power."

"Second-stupidest thing? What's the first?" Layla asked, frowning slightly.

"I'm going to go with the employee discounts at the _Paper Lantern_," he replied, grinning.

Layla laughed softly, nudging him. "You're cra-azy, Warren."

She wasn't offended by his words, as she could see what Warren meant by holding herself back (her mother may have mentioned something similar when she'd told her that she was a sidekick, but she hadn't listened), but she'd also been younger, naive, and had wanted to save the world. Layla had thought that if she could change how things were run in high school, then maybe she'd have a better understanding of how to change the world below Sky High. So far it was just politics and popularity.

But now she'd gained a better perspective on life. Her mother had died, Will and Magenta had betrayed her, her old house had been sold, she'd been forced to live with a woman who she just couldn't relate to, and everything that she thought she'd wanted now seemed as childish as candy-flavoured clouds. Life wasn't fair.

It was amazing how much could change in the space of twelve months, just like a flower dying in the autumn and winter months only to come back stronger and more beautiful in the spring.

"So, what are you going to do about the job?"

"I'll think about it some more. I don't want to make a rash decision and end up regretting it."

"How long do you have to think about it?" Warren asked, glancing at his watch.

"Until 5pm tomorrow."

"That's plenty of time. Sleep on it tonight, see how you feel in the morning, and then go from there. We can talk about it on the bus tomorrow if you're still undecided," Warren added, standing up.

The bell rang moments later, and Layla stood up as well, heading inside with Warren by her side.

...

Deciding that Warren had made sense in his idea to sleep on the job offer, Layla also thought it would be a good idea to search the Internet to see what requirements were needed for superhero and sidekick jobs. She switched on her computer, opening her browser and logging into the super's job database. There weren't many jobs listed, considering that Jetstream and the Commander had the monopoly on most of them (which had come at the cost of a lot of annual dinners, hefty donations, and long hours spent on the golfing range with the Mayor and his wife), but some jobs were still listed. Ten measly jobs that the Commander and Jetstream probably deemed beneath them.

Out of the ten, only one was for a sidekick, and after reading the requirements (_applicant must be able to handle pressure while possibly being lowered into a vat of acid or toxic waste; be well versed in unarmed combat or equivalent street fighting skills; and be flexible about job hours, colours, and catch phrases_), Layla found that being a sidekick didn't exactly lead to a life of luxury. Or even a life of moderate comfort. The superhero jobs were extremely different, with the worst criteria involving their dramatic poses for the news cameras, the sound effects required when punching and otherwise defeating the villains, and their ability to resist the temptation of the Big Red Button.

She'd been curious enough to wonder what super villain jobs were available, if they even advertised such positions. The search results had all been blocked, and on hearing tires screeching outside, Layla looked out of her window to see an unfamiliar van parked in front of the house. She was certain that it hadn't been there earlier, knowing that she would have remembered a vehicle that included a large satellite dish on it's roof. She moved away from the window when the satellite dish swivelled towards her, and decided that turning off the computer would probably be a good thing right about then.

Turning off the computer, Layla went to her bed and thought about her initial principles about the unfairness of the two tracks in Sky High, and how they were changing now that her life had become so different. Yet Layla hadn't gone over to the Hero track when Will was transferred last year. _She'd stuck to her principles back then, when the boy she thought she loved had moved to a class that she could have easily followed him to, so what was so different this time around_?

The answer came almost immediately: she was doing this for herself. She could stay where she was - limiting her potential, as Warren (and the super-related jobs she'd looked at) had said - or she could step up to the plate and let herself try to be the very best super that she could be.

Layla rolled onto her side, closing her eyes and intending on napping until her Great Aunt came home. When she was awake, she could tell her about the job and maybe they could bond over something that didn't involve her mother's death...

On arriving home later that night and finding Layla asleep, her Great Aunt decided to let her continue sleeping, and went to her own room to sleep after a long shift at the hospital. She wondered when Layla would finally unpack her belongings.

...

End of the fifth chapter.

I hope you liked it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Warning:** Just a quick reminder that this is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic scenes later on, of both torture and a sexual nature, and quite a lot of the chapters involve swearing. Please do not read if you're not comfortable with these things. I will put a warning for torture scenes.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Six

...

"I've made a decision about the job," Layla said, smiling as Warren sat beside her on the bus.

"Good morning to you too," he muttered sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at her.

She was wearing a black and green shirt today with a green skirt, and black stockings. Still in mourning, but if the return of colours was anything to go by, it seemed that Layla was beginning to heal.

"Sorry. Good morning, how are you?" Layla asked, waiting somewhat impatiently for an answer so she could continue with her decision.

"Fine. So, what are you doing about the job?" Warren asked.

"I'm going to change to the Hero track."

"Good for you. You don't happen to have any coffee on you?" he muttered, yawning.

"No, I keep the espresso machine in my _other_ bag," Layla said sarcastically, put out that he wasn't as excited over her decision as she was.

"Bring that bag tomorrow then," Warren said, closing his eyes and leaning back on the seat.

Layla glowered at him for a few minutes before realising that he wasn't paying her any attention, and relented out of boredom. She'd been hesitant about leaving the house this morning, but was glad when she'd discovered that the nondescript van with it's ridiculous satellite dish wasn't there anymore.

Opening her bag, Layla took a book out and tried to read. The driver seemed to be learning where the potholes and bumps on the road were, and started to avoid them. Now, some of the braver (or desperate) students tried to study on the bus ride to Sky High. It was a much smoother ride when they were airborne, as this driver didn't go as fast as Ron Wilson (bus driver and giant robot fighter).

"Warren? We're here," she said, shaking him gently after they'd landed and he still hadn't moved.

"Go'way," Warren groaned, trying to turn away from her.

He smacked into the window, and pulled away sharply, muttering under his breath.

"Come on, you two!" the driver called.

"Yeah, we're coming," Warren replied, glaring.

Layla grabbed his bag when he walked down the aisle without it. "Forgetting something?" she said with a grin, holding the bag out to him.

"Thanks," he muttered briefly, slinging it over his shoulder, waiting for her to step off the bus before following her down. The bus pulled away with a screech of tires, heading to the bus shed. "I'll see you at lunch when I'm awake," Warren added.

Without really thinking and his brain still half asleep, he kissed her. Layla's eyes widened at the unexpected act, and when he realised what he was doing a second or two later, Warren quickly pulled away from her. He left without a word, his cheeks tinged red. She looked after him, positive that she saw a wisp of smoke curling from where his hand was clutching his bag strap.

As she heard the first bell ring for homeroom, Layla hurried to Mr. Boy's class. Along the way, she touched her lips briefly, wondering if it was a good or bad thing that she was enjoying the fact that her mouth felt like it was burning. It was a pleasant burn though, too hot for a tingle, and just a shade cooler than a fiery kiss.

Layla hurried to school her expression before entering the classroom, giving Mr. Boy an apologetic smile and nod. He nodded in return, marking her off the attendance sheet.

"Has anyone heard from Zach this morning?" Mr. Boy asked, looking at the students before him.

Magenta paled slightly, finding the peeling cover of her notebook the most interesting the thing in the world.

"He's home sick today, sir," Ethan said. "He burned out yesterday."

Mr. Boy looked worried at Ethan's choice of words. "Well, I'm sure he'll be fine, and back with us in no time," he said optimistically.

Layla made a mental note to call Zach later and see how he was going. He might have been Will's friend first, but she doubted he'd still consider Will a friend after what he and Magenta had done.

The bell rang to indicate the end of the homeroom session, and Mr. Boy smiled at all of them brightly. "Go on, learn something new and I'll see you later at English for Hero Support!" he called as everyone filed out of the room quickly.

Layla left without waiting for anyone for the first time in almost two years. Magenta looked hurt for a moment, but stayed an appropriate distance away, and was soon looking indifferent once more. Ethan walked between the two, glancing ahead to Layla and then behind to Magenta, wondering who he should side with. In the end, he stayed exactly where he was and silently hoped that Zach would get better soon. He could walk with him then.

...

"Excuse me, Principal Powers?" Layla called, knocking on her door.

"Yes? Oh, Layla, hello," she said pleasantly, recognising her from her deeds the year before. "How can I help you?"

Layla stood before her, feeling nervous suddenly. The last time this particular conversation had occurred, Layla had been very adamant and vehement about her decision to stay a sidekick.

"I'd like to apply to join the Hero track, Principal Powers," she said, her voice surprisingly steady.

Principal Powers looked surprised for a brief moment, but then her expression changed to a pleased one. "I'm very glad for that, Layla. You have to understand that when I offered it to you last year, it was in order to see you succeed. I only have my student's best interests at heart," she added. Picking up her phone, she called Coach Boomer to her office.

He arrived in a few moments, crumbs from his hero sandwich on his jacket. Unlike Principal Powers, Coach Boomer didn't seem as pleased at Layla's decision to change tracks. He remembered her refusal to power up at Power Placement all too well, and wasn't fond of being told what to do by students.

"Well, hurry it up," he muttered sourly.

She nodded briefly, spying a seed on his jacket. With barely a thought, the seed began to grow, unbeknownst to Coach Boomer. Principal Powers could see though, and she was both amused and worried about the girl's choice.

"Is that your power then? Staring intently? Really, there's a bunch of kids down the mall that could do that if you place a five dollar bill in front of them. Come on, Princ..." his complaint cut off with a girlish shriek as the seed grew at a faster rate, wrapping around his torso tightly. "Get it off! Get it off!" he said, unable to move his arms to brush the large vine off his body. "Get. It. **OFF!**" Boomer bellowed, attempting to displace it with his sonic voice.

On her desk, Principal Powers' glass shattered and she frowned at the mess of glass scattered over her paperwork. Around his shoulders, the vine shuddered slightly, but stayed wrapped around Boomer tightly. It burst into bloom, bright red flowers surrounding him.

"All right, I think that's enough now, Layla," Principal Powers said, her mouth twitching between a frown and a smile.

The flowers wilted, the petals dying and disappearing as they fell to the ground. The vine slithered off of his body, fading down into a seed once more. After a quick nod to Principal Powers, Coach Boomer refused to look at Layla as he left, heading to his own office to throw his sandwich in the bin and order something without any seeds.

"May I ask why you've changed your mind about becoming a Hero?" Principal Powers asked curiously before Layla could leave.

Layla almost went to tell her about the job, but decided that it really wasn't any of her business. She had decided to change to the Hero track, and she'd passed Boomer's inspection. "It's a personal decision, Principal Powers. Thank you for your time," she replied, leaving a moment later.

Sinking onto her seat, Principal Powers sighed softly. The look on Layla's face as she created the vine that wrapped around Boomer's chest, a thick rope that had the potential to crush the very life out of him, had been so _cold_. As she sent the memo to Mr. Boy for Layla to switch classes that afternoon, Principal Powers hoped that by keeping Layla surrounded by her friends in the Hero track, it would help her realise that there was more to life than death.

...

Warren was worried that his impromptu kiss that morning had driven Layla to jump off the edge of the school. He couldn't find her anywhere; she wasn't in the cafeteria, outside on the wall, at the small garden behind the bus shed, nor in detention.

Just as he gave up his search and decided to call her phone, he rounded the corner to find Layla sitting on the wall calmly eating her lunch.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, striding over to her.

"I went to see Principal Powers about changing to the Hero track," she replied, looking up at him with a slight frown. "I told you I was changing tracks this morning, Warren... You really need a stronger supply of coffee," she added when he frowned at her in confusion.

Warren groaned, suddenly thinking that hitting his head against the wall sounded like a fantastic idea. "I forgot about that."

_He'd been thinking about kissing her all morning instead_.

"Have you already eaten?" Layla asked.

"Not yet. Was looking for you," he said, sitting beside her and opening his crushed paper bag.

"Why didn't you just call?"

"Because that would have been desperate... And a ringing phone would have given away your position if you were following someone," he added, trying to make his worry over her into something lighthearted instead.

"Oh, I hate that! If you're going to stalk someone, at least put your phone on silent," Layla muttered.

"Maybe heroes and sidekicks could use phones when they're separated at the entrance of an evil lair."

"I can see the slogan now... _Phones: helping people not be lowered into vats of toxic waste since 1980_," Layla said with a laugh. "But the last I saw, spandex pants don't have pockets to carry phones in."

"You have a pair of spandex pants lying around to check for pockets?"

"They were my mum's. She doesn't have much use for them six feet under."

Warren was silent for a moment, finding it difficult to swallow the lump that his sandwich had become. _So this was how Layla had felt when he mentioned his father being in solitary_.

"Breathe, Peace. You're not allowed to die choking on a sandwich," Layla said, frowning at him.

He swallowed, taking a drink of water. "So how did you demonstrate your powers to Coach Boomer?" he asked, changing the subject.

Layla didn't seem to mind at the change in the conversation, and grinned at the memory of Boomer's shrieks. She explained what she'd done, and Warren couldn't help but feel impressed by her.

"He's going to want to get revenge for that. You might want to skip the next Save the Citizen. Boomer will probably put you against me and Will."

"You think I won't beat you?" she asked, grinning.

"I don't hit girls. Unless they're trying to kill me," Warren added, thinking of Gwen and Penny - those two he would be more than willing to hit, though for very different reasons.

He hurried to cool his emotions at the thought of that bitch of a cheerleader slapping Layla before his hand burst into flames. Her face had been red for most of the night, and despite the makeup she'd borrowed from Magenta, he had seen the beginnings of a bruise on her cheek.

"How very gallant," Layla said, rolling her eyes. "So if I'm against you in the next Save the Citizen, you'll forfeit the game? Or fight and just avoid me entirely?"

Warren was surprised to notice that Layla sounded disappointed at the idea of not fighting him. "You _want_ me to hit you?" he asked in disbelief.

"No. I want you to _fight_ me. What's the point of learning how to fight if you refuse to hit someone because of their gender? That'd be like me learning martial arts and then not fighting a guy simply because I might kick him in the manhood."

"We have really weird conversations," Warren muttered briefly. "Fine, if you're in Save the Citizen against me, I'll fight you. Happy?"

Layla seemed to consider his question seriously, and a moment later, she nodded. "Fairly. You could sound a bit more enthusiastic about it; we've got Save the Citizen next," she said, standing as the bell rang a moment later.

"We've got Save the Citizen on Wednesday's. Today's Tuesday," he said, frowning.

"It's Wednesday today," she replied, shaking her head at him. "I'm going to buy you coffee and a calendar one day... Come on, let's see you try and fight me."

Warren shouldered his bag and followed after her, somewhat glad he had the same morning classes two days in a row.

...

As Warren had predicted, Boomer was still upset over Layla's display of power. The moment everyone was seated, he shouted for Williams to pair up with Larry and go against Will and Warren in the arena.

Layla usually believed in only using her powers when the situation demanded it (except when she couldn't control her emotions long enough to stop wilting a plant or two). Despite this being one of the times that Save the Citizen was the 'situation' and Boomer was 'demanding' it, Layla decided to bend her rule in order to _really_ fight Warren. After Will's betrayal the day before, she had no qualms about using her power against him either.

In the stands, there were quiet murmurs, bets being exchanged by the students before the teachers could notice. Mr. Boy was chatting amiably with Mr. Medulla; everyone had heard what Will had done to Layla, even the teachers, and they were looking for a spectacular display of revenge. Since only Will had been transferred to the Hero track, most people believed that Layla's power was only worthy of it's sidekick status or, as Penny had thought the year before, that she didn't have a power at all.

On his seat, Ethan readied his phone to take a video of the fight to show to Zach. He'd probably enjoy watching Will getting beaten by Layla.

Boomer called for quiet, and by the time he pressed the buzzer for the game to start, a pin could have dropped in the gym and echoed in the silence.

The citizen started calling out to be saved, which was Will and Warren's job, as per usual. Before either one could move, Larry powered up into his large rock formation, stomping over loudly to stand in front of the citizen and block their attempts at saving the mannequin.

"I'll deal with him, you keep Layla busy," Will called. He wouldn't admit that he was terrified that Layla would simply pick him up with her vines and feed him into the metal monster along with the citizen.

Warren threw a few fireballs at Larry to keep him preoccupied as Will flew over to him. It didn't work well, only serving to irritate Larry and making him swing his arms around to stop the fireballs. He noticed Will flying around, plucking him out of the air and throwing him across the arena. Will braced himself for the impact but he still crashed into the large blocks, knocking him out for a moment. Larry returned to his post as guard of the citizen's demise, satisfied with his job.

"You sure you want to do this, Layla?" Warren asked as he came closer to her.

"You're not chickening out, are you?" she taunted, a vine wrapping around her wrist.

He threw a punch at her, a few gasps from the crowd as she dodged it quickly and made it look easy.

"Jetstream may have taught me a few things about unarmed combat," Layla admitted at his surprised look. "Now, hurry up and keep trying to defeat me so you can save the stupid citizen," she added, striking out at him.

Warren dodged her fist, but the vine shot out and clipped him on the chin. "Playing dirty there, hippie."

She just grinned at him, and Warren put his fists up once more, flames burning brightly. They began to fight in earnest, balls of fire flying out, large flowers forming to shield Layla, a large tree growing out of the floorboards to throw Warren high into the air. He came down in a blaze of flames, the tree burning to dust in a moment.

Layla glanced over to the citizen and the time. Only fifteen seconds remained before the citizen would be destroyed, and Warren hadn't landed one punch to knock her back or unconscious in order to save it from it's untimely demise. She returned to distracting him with her punches, a kick knocking Warren back to the ground. He was up in a second, his arms alight now, and a growl on his lips. He attacked her again, trying to throw ball after ball of fire at every plant she grew to shield herself, just waiting for one to weaken her enough and get through.

With everyone's attention on Warren and Layla's dance around the arena, no one noticed as Will stirred and stood up from the destroyed blocks. He flew straight at Larry, pushing him back so that he flew straight over the metal teeth, knocking into the citizen, and landing on the other side with a thud. Before he could regain his footing, Will punched Larry so hard that he became nothing more than a pile of rocks for a long moment before turning back into his normal frail self.

At the crash Larry made, both Warren and Layla turned to where Will was hovering above the teeth, trying to rip the rope apart to save the citizen. Layla's eyes flashed with anger and she threw a vine at him, the longest one she'd made yet. Will was too distracted with the rope and irritating citizen to notice her attack, and soon found himself tied up, five metres above the ground and directly above the metal teeth.

Layla watched as he started to drop, and she contemplated letting him continue to fall. A second later, she pulled the vine back sharply, pulling Will out of harm's way while the citizen was ripped to shreds.

The students all erupted with applause when Layla and Larry were declared the winners.

"You could have let him get torn up a bit," Warren muttered softly, grinning ever so slightly.

"What do you think my vine's made out of, feathers?" she replied, grinning back and ignoring the applause around them.

"_Nurse Spex_!"

Mr. Boy's shout was shrill and urgent enough for the applause to die down almost immediately. Larry was still lying on the ground motionless. Beside him, Will was sitting up and trying to pull out the thorns that were embedded in his arms and legs. He looked horrified at what he might have done to Larry.

_He hadn't hit him __**that **__hard, had he? Larry had been in his rock form, a punch couldn't have killed him! Could it_?

Nurse Spex was ushered into the arena quickly. She scanned Larry's body for damage, and she knelt beside him to check his pulse.

"He was just knocked unconscious. Where's that young Stronghold then? Oh, there you are!" she said, blinking at him behind her thick glasses. "You look like you need some medical attention too. Come on, you can carry him to the medical station. Be careful with him, or you won't get a lollipop," Nurse Spex added sternly.

The silence only lasted until Will, Larry and Nurse Spex had left the room, with everyone immediately talking about what would happen now that one of the winners had been knocked out. Looking relieved, Mr. Boy started bouncing on the balls of his feet gently. In a few moments, he had enough spring in his step to jump up to the teacher's gallery, where he took his usual place beside Mr. Medulla. Boomer pressed a button on the remote beside him, the destroyed citizen slowly being pulled over to where he was sitting. He sonicked it into a mess of limbs and shredded clothes, then replaced the citizen and looked down at Layla and Warren in the arena.

"You two will fight together for now. Choose your opponents and which side you'll fight," he said, changing the scoreboard.

"Heroes," Layla said before Warren could say anything. "I choose Freeze Girl," she added.

"Are you insane? She'll cancel me out and freeze any plants you can make," he hissed at her. Layla just grinned, as if challenging him. "Fine, I choose Magenta."

"What?" Magenta echoed with wide eyes, surprised that she'd been chosen.

"No arguing, purple kid. Get your protection on and get in the arena! You too, Freeze Girl!" Coach Boomer called. "You've got a minute to discuss your strategies," he said when they were finally ready and waiting.

"Talk, hippie," Warren hissed.

"It's easier to get warm in winter than it is to get cool in summer. Fire against ice, fire _always_ wins. You've never seen a frozen fireball, have you?" she added, grinning. "You just need to use more energy than her. It's only for five minutes until I can save the citizen. Do you think you can do it?"

Warren looked dubious but gave a brief nod. "I'll try. And Magenta?"

"I know how to deal with her," Layla muttered.

"Hey, why'd you choose hero?" he added when they realised there were still thirty seconds left before the game began.

"To meet everyone's expectations. We can be bad later," she replied, grinning at him.

Warren's hands almost started flaming at her words. '_We can be bad later.' For fuck's sakes, did she have a list of things to say that were designed to drive him insane from horniness? He'd probably spontaneously combust soon_!

"You okay?" Layla whispered when she saw him starting to grin.

"I know how to defeat Freeze Girl. You just concentrate on saving the citizen."

She nodded, choosing not to point out that had been her plan from the beginning.

The buzzer went off loudly, people in the stands shouting a mix of ideas and insults across the arena.

Warren started forward, sliding briefly on the sheet of ice that Freeze Girl was creating on the floor. His feet burst into flame, melting large puddles where he walked. Freeze Girl paled slightly, looking worried all of a sudden.

Layla made her way to the citizen, trying not to slip over on the ice. A brief burst of power had thorns growing out of her shoes, crunching holes into the ice so she could walk without falling.

Magenta had changed into a guinea pig the moment the buzzer went off. Freeze Girl had created a block of ice for her to stand on, and it was raised above the metal teeth precariously so that Magenta could chew through the rope that held the citizen up. It was a smart move, and the moment the citizen dropped and was shredded up, Warren and Layla would lose.

A vine slid down Layla's right arm, slithering it's way along the ice and up the tower of ice that was holding Magenta up. Magenta screamed as the vine came towards her, trying to gnaw on the rope faster. She was caught moments later, and started to chew on the vine to get out of her temporary prison.

While Magenta was preoccupied with the first vine, a second one slid out, this one from Layla's left arm. She shot it out like Spiderman's web to wrap around the citizen to save it from it's impending doom. A small branch of the vine wrapped around the citizen's mouth to keep it quiet. Despite being a guinea pig, even Magenta looked relieved.

Tugging on the vine, Layla began to carefully pull the citizen away. Magenta was still gnawing on the other vine, but Layla began to pull on it as well, pulling her even further away from the citizen's rope.

Across the arena, Warren was still battling Freeze Girl. She was starting to get extremely warm, making it difficult to create ice or even keep up the now-melting floor she'd started with. Warren was beginning to get exhausted. His initial fireballs had been large and hotter than normal due to his Layla-inspired thoughts, but these ones were much smaller and not as intense. By the time this was over, he doubted he'd be able to light a candle. He glanced up at the clock, thankful that there were only three seconds left.

Layla finally pulled the citizen to safety, but didn't remove the vine yet. After being pulled off the block of ice, Magenta had shed her guinea pig form, but she was still struggling to get away from the vine around her.

The buzzer went off and cheers erupted from around the gym. Layla smiled over at Warren, and he grinned back, his last fireball fizzling out. What was left of Freeze Girl's icy floor disappeared and a moment later, Layla's vines disappeared as well.

"Good game, Peace," Freeze Girl said, smiling at him.

He nodded at her, but didn't reply verbally, and left to where Layla was waiting.

...

When Layla arrived at her Great Aunt's house that afternoon (she still couldn't call it home, couldn't bring herself to unpack, couldn't feel like anything other than a guest in her relative's house), she called Ms. Peace to let her know that she was now a Hero rather than Hero Support.

Warren's mother sounded pleased that she'd decided to accept that particular provision of the job, and within the hour, she had sent her information regarding an interview with the Mayor on Friday afternoon.

Pleased with the outcome, Layla remembered her earlier idea and called Zach to see how he was doing. He sounded much quieter on the phone, but thanked her for calling. He congratulated Layla on winning the Save the Citizen games, telling her how Ethan had called and sent the video. They talked for a while, Layla explaining about changing to the Hero track, and why. Zach had sounded much happier about the job and her decision than she'd expected him to be. Their conversation ended with Zach inviting her over for study group the next night. She was a Hero now, but that didn't mean they couldn't still study together. Ethan had already agreed earlier in the afternoon, planning on taking Zach his homework since he would be absent from school tomorrow as well. Layla agreed to study with them, asking if she could invite Warren. Zach had sounded happy again, mentioning something about badasses and bro's that Layla hadn't really understood, but he had said he'd see them both tomorrow afternoon and they'd hung up from the call.

Her Great Aunt had been surprised at Layla's mentioning of a job interview. She wasn't a super herself, but she'd had a job at a supermarket when she was Layla's age, and understood how important the independence was to young people. While Layla wasn't entirely sure how a supermarket job compared to being a super-powered teen, she still smiled and nodded in all the right places, reassuring her Great Aunt that she would keep up with her studies. She informed her that she would be attending a study group the next day, which seemed to appease her, although her expression darkened on hearing that Warren would be there as well.

That night, Layla went to sleep with a smile, looking forward to what the next day could bring for the first time in a very long time.

...

End of the sixth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Warning:** Just a quick reminder that this is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic scenes later on, of both torture and a sexual nature, and quite a lot of the chapters involve swearing. Please do not read if you're not comfortable with these things. I will put a warning for torture scenes.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Seven

...

"Layla? What are you doing here?" Will asked, his eyes wide and his expression confused when he saw her sitting in the Hero's class the next morning.

As he'd been stuck in Nurse Spex's office all afternoon as she pulled the individual thorns from his arms, legs, and shoulders, Will had missed out on seeing Layla changing to the Hero track. Although, he was sure that he would have rather experienced that uncomfortableness as opposed to what had awaited him at home.

After being called by Principal Powers to come pick Will up, Josie had been beside herself with worry as she'd flown up to the school. On seeing the few holes in her son's body, she was immediately reassured, but promised Nurse Spex that she'd look after Will so he wouldn't be in pain. Josie had participated in Save the Citizen herself and had experienced worse since then, and doubted that the tiny holes were much to worry over. Steve had been more disappointed about Will losing the champion's title for the game, and had talked about strategies over dinner until Will had offered to do the dishes just to escape his father's monologuing.

"I changed over to the Hero track yesterday," Layla replied, wondering why he was asking such an obvious question.

_Why else would she be in the same class as him and sitting down? She'd had the same timetable for the past two years, it was highly unlikely for her to make a mistake __**now**_.

There was a moment of awkward silence, but Layla would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy watching Will squirm.

"Mr. Stronghold, while you may be disillusioned about this fact, it is in fact _true_ that the world does **not** revolve around you. Class has already started, now _sit down_," Mr. Medulla said, glaring at him.

Will hurried to sit on his usual seat by the window, careful not to step on Mr. Medulla's foot this time. Layla was sitting near the front door next to Larry, who looked extremely pleased about being beside her.

For most of the lesson, Layla could feel Will's gaze boring into her, but she ignored him and concentrated on what Mr. Medulla was teaching. They were learning about different corrosive acids. Apparently they would be tested about them next week, and Layla had no desire to fail her very first Hero test.

Mr. Medulla chastised Will another two times before he finally looked away from Layla and concentrated on the class.

"So, Layla," Larry said as they walked to the next class. "A bunch of us are doing a study group at my house tonight. Did you want to join us?"

She smiled briefly, surprised that she'd been asked. "Sorry, Larry, but I've already got a study group with Zach, Ethan, and Warren."

"Two sidekicks? Will they really understand all the Hero work we have to learn?"

Her smile slipped, and Layla frowned at him. "I'm sure they will. Just because they're sidekicks it doesn't mean that they're stupid."

Larry seemed to realise that up until yesterday, Layla had been classed as a sidekick as well, and with that realisation came the thought that he'd not only insulted her, but also blown any chance he had of ever getting a date with her. "Sorry, Layla."

She nodded briefly, and they walked in silence to the next classroom. Larry still felt ashamed by the time they reached English for Heroes, but was pleasantly surprised when Layla still sat next to him.

_Well, at least he hadn't ruined their friendship_, Larry thought to himself. _Besides, he preferred blondes, and Freeze Girl was single again_.

...

"Hey, hippie. Not braving the cafeteria today?" Warren asked as he sat beside her.

"Not up to it," she said, shaking her head.

"Heard you got an interview with the Mayor, congratulations," he said with a grin.

"Thanks. I was going to ring you to say thank you, but I got caught up talking to Zach and I forgot. So, thank you," Layla said, smiling at him.

Warren's heart did **not** just skip a beat. _Not at all. His heart didn't do stupid things like that_.

"You're welcome. How is the glow stick?"

"He doesn't sound the best. He invited me over for a study group with him and Ethan tonight. Do you want to come?"

Warren was silent for a moment, thinking over his work schedule, and the distance from Zach's house to the _Paper Lantern_. "Sure, I can only stay for two hours at the most though. I'm working tonight."

Layla nodded in understanding. "I don't think they'll mind. Zach said something about you being his bro and his house was badass. I got confused with all of the abbreviations and words ending with _izzle_," she admitted, frowning.

"Great, can't wait," he muttered sarcastically.

They were silent as they ate their food, and Warren read his book as Layla played with the grass behind them.

"I haven't been to the _Paper Lantern_ since my mother died," Layla realised with a slight frown.

Looking up from his book, Warren saw the tears in her eyes. She gave him a watery smile, turning back to the blades of grass and killing them until there were big circles of brown grass scattered among the green. He frowned, not liking to see her so sad and lost.

"Why don't you come tonight? I'll cook vegetables and rice for you," he said, grinning slightly.

"With black bean sauce?"

"With black bean sauce," he agreed. "If you're lucky, I might even throw in a fortune cookie for dessert."

"Okay, but only if you read the fortune to me," Layla replied, smiling briefly.

"You read mine and we've got a deal, hippie."

She nodded quickly, holding out her hand for him to shake. Warren hesitated for a brief moment; he hadn't actually touched her since their accidental kiss the day before (which they still hadn't discussed, acting as if it hadn't even happened). He shook to seal their deal, enjoying the warmth of her hand in his. Warren let his fingers linger as he pulled away, but Layla squeezed his hand gently, threading their fingers together. His hand fired up, a gentle flame that he didn't let burn her. She smiled, a vine wrapping around their joined hands and bursting into bloom.

...

"Hey, Zach. How are you?" Layla asked when he opened the door.

"Been better," he replied with a brief shrug. "Hey, Warren. Glad you could make it," he said, smiling for a brief moment.

Warren just nodded, following Layla inside. He told himself that he wouldn't stare at Zach, who was dressed in a grey shirt and track pants rather his normal neon coloured clothes. As with Layla's deviation from green, it was a shock to see him in anything that wasn't white, yellow or bright green.

"Oh, hey Layla. Hi Warren," Ethan said with a smile as they came inside. "Zach and I were just watching your fight in Save the Citizen yesterday. It was really well played, even if you did leave some crucial openings."

"What openings?" Warren asked, frowning as he sat beside Ethan.

Ethan seemed both startled and pleased that Warren had given him the time of day, and hurried to rewind the video on the screen. He'd already transferred the video from his phone to his laptop and had hooked the laptop up to Zach's TV so they could see it without straining their eyes.

"Just start it from the beginning, and we'll watch the whole thing," Layla said, sitting on the lounge opposite them.

Zach offered everyone a drink, but when they declined, he sat beside Layla, keeping the bowl of popcorn in his lap. He hadn't watched both fights yet, and was looking forward to seeing the floor being wiped with his former friends.

The games were watched three times, one for fun (Zach had actually lit up when Will had been pierced by the vines, but blamed the lighting), once to study the openings they'd made ("see, Warren? Freeze Girl had a clear path right to Layla then, and she could have frozen her before you had time to stop it," Ethan said, grinning when Warren looked as if he was seriously contemplating what he'd said), and the final time to take notes on what they could have done differently. The latter took the most time, as they argued over the merits of having an entire plant-based shield as opposed to a fiery one, with Ethan and Zach putting in their own ways of how they could _destroy_ them had they fought together. Warren grinned, accepting their challenge to fight in Save the Citizen once Zach was better and back at Sky High.

Zach's mother came in before they could continue talking, offering to bring them more snacks or drinks. Her offer was declined, and they hurried to actually do homework instead of watching the videos for a fourth time. Ethan sent the videos to Layla and Warren at their request, and then returned to his homework for English for Hero Support.

Layla was in the middle of discussing corrosive acids when Warren's alarm went off, reminding him that he had to go to work. In a matter of minutes, both Warren and Layla were ready to leave, planning to have another study group at Ethan's house on the weekend since Layla had her interview with the Mayor the next day.

Zach had hugged her, congratulating her, both of them ignoring Ethan's comment about it being a government job when she'd already expressed the desire to work outside, with animals, or plants. Layla said they'd discuss it more on the weekend, if she actually did get the job.

Jokingly, Zach had said that they'd egg the Mayor's car if he didn't give her the job, which Layla found worryingly endearing.

...

Warren arrived at the _Paper Lantern_ with five minutes to spare before his shift started. Mrs. Woo recognised Layla and slyly told Warren that he should have brought her sooner, rather than the cold blonde girl he'd been with last year. He was glad she'd said it in Cantonese rather than English, and simply told her not to hassle Layla. Warren grabbed Layla's hand, quickly dragging her into the kitchen before Mrs. Woo could say anything else.

"That mean old woman is Mrs. Woo. Don't listen to anything she says, no matter what language it's in," he added with a brief glare over his shoulder.

"Okay," she said, wondering what the kind-looking lady had said to Warren to make his hands burn the way they were.

Warren realised that he'd burned her, and swore softly, turning on the nearby cold tap and putting her wrists beneath the cold water.

"I've just got to get my apron. Don't move from here, all right?"

In record time, Warren shrugged off his jacket, putting it in the staff area with his bag, tying the apron on and his hair up before returning to where Layla was waiting. She was drying her wrists tenderly, and started to apply a burn salve that she'd seen through the first aid box's clear lid.

"I'm fine, Warren. Don't look so worried; I've done worse to myself with poisonous plants," she reassured him with a slight grin. "Get to work; we'll talk later," Layla added, picking up her bag and heading to the far corner of the kitchen that looked unoccupied.

Warren sighed slightly, but Mrs. Woo called him, and he hurried to do his job before she decided to fire him.

Layla watched everything that happened in the kitchen that night instead of focusing on her homework. She was fascinated by the order that was maintained by different chefs, the words and friendly insults they traded with each other. Everyone looked so tense and worried, their results always being judged by the people eating them. Warren was in and out of the kitchen a lot, collecting empty plates and glasses from the diners, filling up water jugs, washing dirty dishes, and continuing the cycle all over again. Layla itched to do something to help, but doubted that her intrusion would be appreciated by anyone in the kitchen; they all had their own specific jobs to do and she would only get in the way. She did make the daisies on the tables stand up a little straighter though, just to make herself feel useful.

When the restaurant became quieter, Warren finally returned to the kitchen to cook dinner for himself and Layla. Mrs. Woo had gone home an hour ago, leaving the rest of the duties to those who were rostered on. Warren talked with Layla as he cooked, explaining corrosive acids and what he remembered about their properties. She took notes quickly, not allowing herself to be distracted by his arms any more than she already was.

By the time he finished cooking, the restaurant was completely empty, and most of the staff were folding napkins for the next night. Warren took Layla out to the seated section, sitting across from her and eating dinner together as if they'd actually come in to do only that. Layla wasn't entirely sure how, but she found that their conversation had turned to her mother.

"So there my mother was, trying to explain to Bruce the pig that the saying '_when pigs fly_' didn't actually mean that he would be able to fly one day! He was very disappointed, but it was even worse when he asked what bacon was."

"How on earth did your mother explain that?" he asked with a slight frown, trying to imagine the conversation that would have led Bruce to understand that people eat his kind.

"She never did tell me what she said, but apparently Bruce was very offended that humans would eat pigs, who were the noblest of creatures."

"Of course..."

Layla laughed at his expression, reaching across the table to swipe his fortune cookie off the plate. He shook his head briefly, taking hers as well.

"You first, hippie," Warren said with a nod.

"_I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the centre of your being_," she read, frowning slightly. She turned the small piece of paper over. "Your lucky numbers are 18, 32, 5, 29, and 7," she said with a grin this time. "Your turn."

Warren took a small breath, reading the tiny words aloud. "_Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life_... Your lucky numbers are 7, 29, 5, 32, and 18."

"Is it normal for the numbers to be the same?"

"Not usually," he replied with a frown.

"Maybe they really are lucky," she said, grinning.

"Yeah, right. I'll play them in the lotto and be a millionaire," Warren said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, hippie, let's get going. Did you tell your Great Aunt that you'd be out all night?"

Layla paled slightly, shaking her head.

"Why don't you go call her now, and let her know that you're only just leaving? I'll make sure you get to her house all right," he added.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I can catch the bus on my own."

"My mother would probably kill me if she finds out that I let you go home alone. Don't argue, hippie. Just go call your Great Aunt, and when you're there, you can thank me, all right?"

Layla still didn't look too happy about it, but headed outside to do as he said. Her Great Aunt sounded appropriately relieved that she was okay, and it took Layla a few minutes to convince her not to drive down into town to pick her up, since Warren would be with her, and she'd be safe. Warren washed their dishes, grabbed his jacket and bag, leaving after hanging up his apron. Layla had only just hung up from her phone call when he stepped outside, zipping up his jacket.

"Everything all right?"

She nodded with a smile. "Perfect. The next bus leaves the depot in about ten minutes, so we've got about five to get to the next stop."

Warren nodded in response, heading down the street with Layla by his side. They were both silent as they walked, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Overhead, the street lamp blinked uncertainly in the dark night. Layla looked around, frowning slightly when she saw a large sign hanging precariously on a fence across the street.

"Where are you going? The bus'll be here in a minute," Warren called when she hurried across the road. Swearing softly, he hurried after her, keeping an eye out for the bus. "What's wrong?"

"It's for sale," Layla said, nodding at the old wooden house on one of the few remaining half acre plots left in Maxville.

"Yeah, it's been for sale for ages. I think it's one of the few houses that the Stronghold's _can't_ sell."

"Why hasn't anyone bought it?"

"Oh, the whole thing's rotted through, and no one really wants to spend the time fixing up an entire half-acre of land. Most people in Maxville would prefer to be in debt for a much more modern house than that one... Bus is coming. Quick," Warren said, taking her hand and running across the road before the bus could drive past.

The bus pulled over, the driver telling himself that it had been a trick of the light that made him imagine that the young man's hand was on fire.

After paying for their bus tickets and taking their seats on the almost-empty bus, Layla looked out at the ruined house until it was out of sight.

"Why are you so interested in that house?" Warren asked with a slight frown.

"I was thinking that it'd be nice to plant an entire forest in there. There aren't many trees left in Maxville," she replied hesitantly.

Warren put his arm around her waist, pulling Layla closer to his body. He turned his head so that it looked like he was kissing her neck, but he didn't kiss her.

"Liar," he whispered, his lips brushing against her skin lightly.

Her cheeks were flushed, but she returned the favour, her lips barely touching his neck as she whispered her answer. "Secret sanctum."

He raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, and a slow grin began to form on his lips. It would definitely be big enough to have a training area, and if a forest was planted at the front of the lot, then it would hide anything that was built behind the trees.

Searching through her bag, Layla pulled out her notebook, turning to the back empty pages. She drew a rough square, labelling the road at the bottom, and drawing symbols for trees around the edge of the block, leaving an empty square in the middle. Passing the pen and book to Warren, she grinned slightly, as if challenging him to add to it.

He took the offered book and pen, sketching a basic training area (fireproof, of course) towards the back of the available space. A room for the security cameras that they'd have installed on the property, which could also serve as the room to watch their fights and training, so they could work out any openings. Warren handed the book back, raising his eyebrows slightly as a way of asking her opinion.

She grinned and nodded, seeming to like his ideas. Layla looked at the available space, frowning slightly before another grin formed and she added to more of this imaginary sanctum.

"A meditation room, really?" Warren asked quietly in disbelief.

"It's very important to relieve stress," Layla replied, sounding more serious than he'd expected her to. "What are your thoughts on a trophy room?" she asked, tapping the pen against her chin.

"Too narcissistic. And leads to things like Homecoming last year," he pointed out, his eyes flicking to the other few people on the bus. "We should have an incinerator instead."

"And a library. But not next to the incinerator," Layla muttered.

"Why would we need a library? The tech room's already there."

"Sophistication. And by having a large library, we can shelve books that we don't want to be noticed; you know, the hiding things in plain sight thing."

"Okay. But only if the library has a fireplace."

"It can have a fireplace if the meditation room can have a waterfall. Or a fish tank," Layla said, undecided as to which would be best.

"If you can choose only one of those, then we've got a deal, hippie."

"Waterfall. Don't want the fish to be accidentally boiled," she said with a slight grin, glancing at his hands.

The bus stopped, and Layla hurried to shove her notebook in her bag, getting out with Warren behind her.

"You really think I'd boil the fish?" Warren asked as they walked up the road.

"Maybe. You want to have an incinerator in a place that's surrounded by _trees_."

"I could control the incinerator if it came down to that."

"Oh, please, you couldn't even light a match after playing two Save the Citizen games yesterday! What if you get back after using your power for most of the day to find that the incinerator's started a fire? You wouldn't be able to control it at all!"

Warren was silent for a moment, frowning. "Well, you couldn't even make a seed open yesterday either."

"That's why I want a place to practice. Really need to get better stamina... The longest fight was between the Commander and the Incredible Genius. It lasted six hours, and it was the last fight that the Commander had with All American Boy as his sidekick. Kind of rude, really. The guy had just saved the Commander's life, and then he just kicked him to the kerb without so much as a thank you bonus."

Warren shook his head briefly. "The bad guys always have the worst names. You think for people who pride themselves on being smarter than heroes, they'd at least have names that wouldn't make them sound like they were still in primary school."

Layla nodded in agreement, staying silent as they walked up the driveway to her Great Aunt's house.

"Thanks for seeing me back, Warren, I appreciate it. And thank you for dinner as well. I'll let your mother know that you were a perfect gentleman," she added with a grin.

"You might want to wait until after I've left before you tell her, or she'll think I'm forcing you to say that," Warren replied, grinning back at her.

"Deal," she said.

There was movement behind Layla, and she frowned slightly as Warren's grin faded.

"I'd better go. Doesn't feel overly welcoming at the moment," he muttered. "See you tomorrow, hippie."

"See you tomorrow. Text me when you get home, okay? I'll worry otherwise... Plus, I can let your mum know how well behaved you were then," Layla said, attempting a grin even as he started walking down the driveway.

"Sure thing. I think I can get home safely," Warren added, clicking his fingers so small flames appeared. He clenched his hands, the two flames disappearing instantly. "Take care of yourself," he called quietly, heading down the road and back to the bus stop.

Layla turned to face the front door, her eyes narrowing when she heard her Great Aunt moving around. She opened the door, stepping inside and closing it behind her. Stepping into the lounge room, the room closest to the entrance, Layla was not at all surprised to see her Great Aunt sitting on an armchair, attempting to read a book that was upside down.

"Hello Layla, how was your day?" her Great Aunt asked, her smile forced and her tone excessively polite.

"Fine. Yours?"

There was a moment of hesitation before she answered. "I was worried about you this afternoon when you didn't come home and I didn't hear from you."

Layla tried not to scoff in disbelief. The first text she'd had from her Great Aunt was at 6.30pm, _three hours_ after school had finished and almost two and a half hours after she was supposed to have been inside the house.

"I don't like you hanging around with that boy either. He doesn't seem good for you."

Now all Layla could do was stare. _Warren was her friend - one of the very few left, and probably her best friend by all counts - and her Great Aunt, who had met Warren __**once**__ at her mother's funeral, had the gall to say that about him_?

"What about that nice boy, Will, who came over a few days ago, looking for you?" she asked, placing her book down and looking at Layla over the top of her glasses. "I thought you were dating him? Will seemed much nicer than the boy out there... Why are you leaving him to be with the likes of that boy?"

"That **nice** boy cheated on me with my best friend, so he's sure as hell not winning Boyfriend of the Year! And as for Warren, he is the _only one_ who isn't treating me like I'm made of glass! He's treating me like _an actual __**person**_, which is more than you can say!" Layla said, her voice raising to a shout. "You never even talked to Mum and I before her death, and now you're trying to make up for it because _you_ feel guilty. Admit it, all you want to do is make yourself feel better! You're just acting as though you've only got my best interests at heart!"

**SLAP.**

Layla held her hand to her burning cheek, and simply stared at her Great Aunt. The silence was deafening, and for a long moment, all she could do was continue to stare at the woman standing across from her.

"I'm sor..."

Not allowing her to finish her insincere apology, one that would only serve to make her Great Aunt feel better, Layla turned around and went down to the room she slept in.

As the door closed behind her, a tree immediately started to grow. It uprooted itself from the floorboards, growing up to the ceiling and branching out across the room, a few of the thicker branches knocking her boxes over.

The tape had become useless over the past few weeks, and Layla's belongings fell out onto the floor. A blanket, her mother's favourite jumper, photographs, books, pieces of jewellery all scattered around, priceless items encased in painful memories.

Sitting against the tree, Layla brought her knees to her chest and began to sort through the items with tears in her eyes.

What felt like hours later, Layla's phone began to vibrate in her pocket, startling her out of her half-awake, half-asleep state. She replied to the text message from Warren, not telling him what had happened yet, deciding to do it in the morning, face to face. Keeping her promise, she quickly text Ms. Peace letting her know that Warren had been very gentlemanly all night and had even escorted her home, which was the reason he was late home himself. There was a reply of surprise from Ms. Peace, along with a message to go to sleep to be refreshed for school the next day.

Smiling to herself briefly, Layla pulled on her mother's jumper, wrapped the blanket around her body and fell asleep against the tree she'd created.

...

End of the seventh chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Warning:** Just a quick reminder that this is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic scenes later on, of both torture and a sexual nature, and quite a lot of the chapters involve swearing. Please do not read if you're not comfortable with these things. I will put a warning for torture scenes.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Eight

...

Creating another tree to get out of the bedroom didn't take as much effort as Layla expected. Although she was surprised to see lemons hanging from the branches, she was far from proud or pleased at their presence. Before leaving, Layla made a web of vines to cover the glass, ensuring that her Great Aunt couldn't get inside from either entry.

On her way to the bus, Layla realised that by going out through the window, she hadn't eaten breakfast and had nothing for lunch that afternoon either. Digging into her pockets, she found a few dollars that she hoped would cover a vegetarian roll at the cafeteria.

Once seated on the bus, Layla took out her notebook to look at the drawing she and Warren had worked on the night before. By sitting on the correct side of the bus, she hoped that she would be able to see the house again. Warren would be on the bus before they passed the house, and she waited impatiently for the driver to drive faster, sketching more rooms for the sanctum.

"Hey hippie," Warren muttered, sliding into the seat beside her.

"Hey," Layla replied, absent-mindedly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, seeing the book in her lap.

"Drawing," she answered, handing him the notebook before glancing out the window to see where they were.

"How'd it go last night with your Great Aunt?"

Layla scowled briefly. "I'll tell you when we're up in the air," she muttered.

With all of the screaming that the other students did, as well as the noise from the jet engine's exhausts on the back of the bus, Layla and Warren had found that their seat provided the perfect cover to talk about anything they didn't want others overhearing. Of course, with all of that noise, it was difficult to hear much without shouting, which raised the issue of being heard all over again. Sitting side by side, with their mouth to the other's ear as they'd done the night before, had worked so far, and if anyone had seen them, they would have mistakenly thought that Warren and Layla were making out.

Warren didn't seem offended by her response, and turned her notebook around with a slight frown. "I really don't think that's possible. You think that can go there without resulting in some serious damage?"

As Layla turned to look at what he was referring to, she noticed the house coming up, and kept her attention glued to the street instead.

"You really want to do this, don't you?" Warren asked quietly.

She almost jumped when she heard his voice in her ear. Nodding briefly, Layla kept her eyes on the house until it was out of sight. Warren was silent beside her, sketching something on the notebook.

Ten minutes later, when the bus was in the air, Layla turned to Warren, her lips close to his ear. He returned the motion, and she repressed a shiver at the feel of his breath against her skin.

"My Great Aunt doesn't like the fact I hang around you," she admitted.

"Didn't think she did. What happened?"

"We had a huge fight. She slapped me..."

"Retaliate?" he asked, moving to look at her cheek. She didn't seem to have a bruise, but Warren believed her nonetheless.

"I grew a tree in the room I sleep in so she can't get inside, and I blocked the window with vines this morning."

"Why doesn't she like me?"

"No actual reason. She just thinks I should be with Will because he's _nice_."

Warren scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah, right. What are you going to do?"

"Get out of her house as soon as possible."

"How?" he replied, frowning slightly.

As much as he was sure that Layla didn't like her Great Aunt, Warren loathed the idea of her running away and living on the streets. _He wondered if his mum would mind if Layla moved in with them_...

"Save up as much money as I can with my job, and then move out after my senior year with my inheritance. It's not a lot, but it's enough to get me started. I hope," she added.

Relieved that she wouldn't be homeless at sixteen, Warren quickly agreed to her idea. "You've just got to figure out how to live with your Great Aunt for the next two years, and you'll be set."

"Easier said than done. She doesn't really care about me, I don't like her, and we still have to live in the same house. Not exactly a recipe for a happy family," Layla said, rolling her eyes.

"Then stop trying to be something that you're obviously not going to be. Stay out of each other's way, make set days for dishes or cooking, and just survive for 24 months... Doesn't seem as long that way, does it?" Warren added, grinning.

She conceded with a brief nod, but doubted that it would work. Her Great Aunt probably hated her now, and Layla wasn't overly fond of the pretentious woman anyway.

The bus began to slow down as Sky High came into view, and they moved so they were facing the front again. Layla put her notebook away quickly, and they held on tightly as the bus landed on the tarmac.

Warren let Layla get out first, as he always did, nodding to the driver as he stepped off the bus behind her. They parted ways, planning to meet in the cafeteria for lunch.

...

"So, why do you think you'd be good at this job?" Warren asked, looking at her seriously.

Layla smiled in return. "I think it would be the perfect opportunity for me to see how I'm able to handle a work environment, and I'm extremely organised, so I am confident that I would be good at the job."

Warren nodded at her answer. "Not bad. Want another question, or are you actually going to eat something now?" he asked, glancing to her tray.

They'd been doing mock interview questions for the whole of lunch, and Layla insisted that she was too nervous to eat. She'd found a few notes hidden at the bottom of her bag, making up more than enough for a salad, and she had filled her water bottle from the school coolers.

"I'll eat in a minute. Ethan, do you want to ask a question?" Layla asked, turning to him.

He grinned and nodded, swallowing the last of his sandwich (_a Hero sandwich, thank you very much_!).

"Um... How about... If the Mayor's opposition offered you a job for more money, would you accept it, and why?"

"Good question," Layla said with a slight grin, before making her expression more neutral and answering. "It would depend on my own circumstances, but I would probably say no, as I am a very loyal person. However, if the Mayor's campaign promises and electoral term differed so drastically that I couldn't bring myself to work for him any longer, it's likely that I would look at the opposition's promises and see if they were similar to my own ideals."

"Okay... Good answer, but if you say anything about hypocrisy, then you probably won't get the job. The Mayor's been accused of being a hypocrite by the media, and I doubt he'd be happy about one of his potential staff turning tail over it," Warren said.

"Yeah, you should have stopped at the loyalty part. That would have been better," Ethan agreed.

"When was he accused of being a hypocrite?" Layla asked, frowning.

"A few months ago. It was over the plans for the goods and services tax increase, which he promised wouldn't happen during his electoral campaign," Warren replied.

"He's put it aside for now, but everyone knows he'll still do it eventually," Ethan added, shrugging.

She didn't look reassured or comfortable at the idea of working for a hypocrite.

"Eat your lunch, hippie," Warren said, nudging her salad towards her. "If you don't eat now, you'll be sick later, and I seriously doubt the Mayor would appreciate you ruining his three-piece."

She wrinkled her nose at his comment, but picked up her fork and began to eat nonetheless. It still tasted awful to her, and Layla drank half of her water before she was even a quarter of the way through her lunch.

Across from her, Ethan started talking to Warren about the study group on the weekend, and the Save the Citizen game to be held that afternoon.

...

"I'm really sorry, Layla, but Nurse Spex says I can't participate in Save the Citizen for a few more weeks. That hit from Will bruised my ribs, and if I get hit again, they could fracture," Larry said.

"Oh, that's all right, Larry. You just concentrate on getting better," she said, patting his hand sympathetically.

Layla went over to Coach Boomer, telling him Larry's reason for not playing. Boomer didn't look convinced, but agreed to her request to partner with Warren again. He called for Peace to join Williams on the arena, and set about changing the names on the board. Warren stood up, looking slightly confused, but headed to the change room quickly.

"Heroes or villains?" Boomer asked.

"Heroes," Layla replied.

"We choose Donny," Warren said, pointing at the telepathic boy from the cafeteria, "and Ritchie," he added, indicating a telekinetic boy from his year.

"Okay, you two get ready," Boomer called.

"Who are they? Well, I know that Donny kid is telepathic, but is that all he does?" Layla asked quietly.

"It's all he's done in front of the class, well, besides be an asshole. He can get overwhelmed by thoughts, and is weak against physical attacks... Ritchie is telekinetic, but he can only lift objects, not elements. I can take him out if you think you can handle Donny?"

"I think I can. Did you ask Ethan to record the fight?"

"Yeah, he said he wanted to keep Zach up to date."

She nodded in reply, glancing to their opponents across the arena. Donny had a look of pure concentration on his face, and Layla glared as she realised he was using his power before the game had even started.

_He really is an asshole_, she thought to herself, and Donny feigned offence, grinning at her.

Moments later, the buzzer went off loudly. Ritchie immediately started on pulling the citizen closer to the metal teeth. Warren threw a fireball at him, making him jump out of the way and lose his concentration. Layla and Donny circled each other, the grin on his face grating her nerves.

"So, little Layla, what are your weaknesses?" Donny murmured.

Memories started to flick through her mind, and she tried to build some sort of protection against him, thinking of the scientific names of every plant and flower she knew. It worked for a moment, but then a memory of her mother appeared, her smile as she listened to Layla recite the scientific names of the flowers they were going to plant that day. _Layla was five years old, dressed in stained overalls, her hair bunched in pigtails, and she was excited to help with the gardening. She'd been looking forward to this all week, her excitement making her lima beans grow even faster at school. Layla's mother smiled at her warmly, the entire room seeming to light up with the motion. Layla's mother holding her arms open for a hug. Layla's mother_...

Layla gritted her teeth, and Donny actually paled slightly as her memory forcefully stopped playing in her mind.

_Her mother, who had been killed by a bull she'd been trying to save. Her mother, who had showed the world nothing but kindness and had died in return. Her mother, who she could never see again, never make her smile again, never see her light up a room just by being there. Her mother, who was cold and dead, and buried beneath the very earth that Layla could control but was useless to do anything. Her mother, who had been there for every moment of her relationship with Will, except the end. Her mother, who would have known exactly what to say to make it better. Her mother, who was no longer there to hug, or hold, or just talk to. Her mother, whose voice she would never hear again_. _Her mother, her mother, her mother_...

Donny gasped at the intensity of her memories, of her overflowing emotions accompanied with the images and thoughts, and sank to his knees in pain. Layla walked over to him, a vine picking him up. He was tied to the street lamp moments later, just in case he managed to get past the memories and emotion. She was crying as she turned around, tears falling down her cheeks, but thankfully keeping her vision somewhat clear.

Warren was fighting Ritchie still, attempting to melt down the large boxes that were being thrown at him. It obviously wasn't working as well as he'd hoped, and Ritchie looked all too triumphant for her liking. Wiping her tears away quickly, Layla held her hands out, her power centralising in her palms. Seconds later, the ground beneath Ritchie's feet began to rumble and quake. Distracted, his power lapsed and the boxes fell to the ground, Warren quickly dodging them before they flattened him. A stalk started to grow from the floor, lifting Ritchie up into the air. A large leaf grew from one of the smaller branches, wrapping around Ritchie to face him at the ceiling and keep him firmly where he was. Unable to see anything below him, Ritchie wouldn't be able to use his telekinesis against them. While Layla was finishing off Ritchie, Warren moved to save the citizen, throwing a fireball at the rope and catching the mannequin before the metal teeth claimed it.

Boomer counted down the ten obligatory seconds, and when the villains stayed stuck where they were, unable to escape or move, he claimed Layla and Warren the victors.

Moments later, Donny and Ritchie were back on their feet, untied and relatively unharmed. Layla didn't meet Donny's gaze, her thoughts still focused on her mother. He gave her a brief nod when he passed, but steered clear of her nonetheless.

"Want to tell me what happened there, hippie?" Warren asked quietly as the students cheered and applauded their victory.

"He tried to make me weak by making me think about my mother. It backfired when I became so emotional that he incapacitated himself instead," she replied with a brief shrug. "Want to be villains now?"

"Not today. You really want to have an interview with the Mayor after being a villain?" Warren asked pointedly.

"True... All right, but next time we're going to be villains. That citizen's starting to give me a headache," Layla muttered.

He nodded in understanding, his head not feeling much better.

They fought against another pair, one girl who could bounce fast and high, and a boy who had six arms and equal strength in all of them. The bouncer was almost as irritating as the citizen, dodging every fireball Warren could send at her. Layla was having trouble creating a vine that the boy couldn't get out of, and the citizen continued to drop. With two minutes to spare, they swapped so Warren was against the six-armed boy, and Layla was against the bouncing girl.

From there, it was over in a matter of seconds. The girl was brought down by a long-reaching vine, keeping her tied to the park bench so she couldn't bounce. A fireball destroyed the street lamp the boy had climbed, bringing him down to the ground quickly, where he was tied up by another vine. Warren destroyed the cable holding the citizen and Layla caught the mannequin with a vine. He might have been imagining it, but Warren was almost certain that Layla let the citizen drop towards the metal teeth for a moment longer than necessary.

Applause erupted again, and moments later, the bell rang, signifying the end of the school for the day.

Layla hurried to the change room to get into her interview clothes, silently hoping the shirt and skirt she had chosen looked professional enough. Making her way to the bus, she wasn't surprised to find that she was one of the last ones to get aboard.

As usual, Warren was sitting at the back of the bus. He glanced up briefly when he heard the bus doors close, doing a double take when he saw what Layla was wearing. He hurried to put out the flame that appeared on his clenched fist. Layla was in a black skirt and a simple black buttoned shirt, and Warren knew that he shouldn't have been turned on by the sight of her walking towards him, but he was, and couldn't seem to regret the feeling. It took longer than normal to repress the thoughts he was having about unbuttoning that shirt and screwing her senseless.

"You okay, Warren?" Layla asked with a slight frown, sitting beside him.

He must have managed a fairly convincing nod because she didn't press it like she normally would have.

"Do I look okay? I tried to go for something professional, but I had that laser-beam guy wolf-whistle at me, and now I'm thinking I don't look as professional as I thought," she lamented.

"He whistled at you?" Warren asked, his voice little more than a territorial growl.

He looked at the students on the bus, hoping that the guy was on the same bus as them so he could beat him up. At least he'd be able to relieve some tension _that_ way.

"Yeah... I grew a bamboo forest around him so he couldn't move or get out," Layla admitted, grinning slightly when Warren chuckled deeply.

"Oh, that's _fantastic_, Layla. I hope he's stuck in there for the rest of the year."

She didn't reply, simply staring at him for a moment. It was the first time she could remember Warren calling her by her actual name. Layla smiled to herself.

"You look fine. If the Mayor doesn't hire you, then we'll do worse than egg his car," he added with a smirk.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, a slight smirk on her face too.

"Not telling. You agreed that you shouldn't think those sort of things before meeting with him. So, think about positive things. You know, forests and rainbows, or whatever."

Layla laughed at his words - _forests and rainbows, __**really**_? - and remembered her morning escapade.

"I can make lemons now," she said, a hint of pride and sadness in her voice.

"Lemons?" Warren echoed, frowning.

"Yeah. I never could make a lemon tree before. I can now... I'll show you," she said, pulling out her notebook.

"No need, hippie, I believe you. I have no desire to have the bus torn apart by tree roots. Stronghold might have to save us then, and that would be too much to handle," he muttered.

"I'm not going rip up the bus. Just watch," she said, placing her palm on an empty page.

Lifting her hand slowly, a miniature tree began to grow up from the blank piece of paper. At first Warren thought she'd been lying, because the tree just had yellow leaves, but then he realised that they were actually lemons. She grinned at his expression, lowering her hand until the tree disappeared and the page was blank once more.

"When did you find out you could do that?" he asked when he overcame his surprise.

"Eighth grade for art class. We had to draw a lifelike object, and I wanted to draw a particular type of tree, but I couldn't remember what type of bark it had. I was just thinking about it and mucking about with my art book, and that sort of happened by accident. Luckily I was alone in the art room," Layla added, grinning briefly. "I tried it again that night when I was home, and it worked... I haven't shown anyone else," she added, feeling as though he should know that.

"Thanks, Layla," he said quietly, smiling.

She smiled back at him. Seat belts flowed out of the seat to secure them down, and they both held on as the driver flew off the edge of the school. Fifteen minutes later, the bus touched down on it's particular freeway ramp, merging onto the road as a normal school bus with a flip of a switch.

The first stop was the closest to the Mayor's office, and Layla got off the bus, Warren wishing her luck.

Walking down to the council building, Layla felt her pocket vibrating and pulled out her phone. She'd received a text, and on reading it, discovered that Ethan and Zach had written to her, wishing her luck with her interview with the Mayor, also informing her that they'd bought four cartons of eggs, just in case. (_If she did get the job, then Zach promised to make omelettes_.) Layla made a mental note to tell them off if she suddenly started laughing in the middle of her interview because of their message.

Opening the door and stepping into the cool building, Layla hurried to smooth her skirt down, suddenly feeling nervous. She smiled at the receptionist briefly, telling her who she was and that she had an appointment with the Mayor. The woman nodded, stating that she was expected, the Mayor was running late, and could she wait for five minutes?

Fifteen minutes later, the Mayor came out of his office, a broad white-toothed smile on his face, and his arm extended for her to shake his hand. Layla hurried to stand, shaking his hand quickly and smiling in return. He held onto her hand for a moment longer, and she wondered if it was an after effect of the recent electoral campaign, where the Mayor probably shook hands with people for minutes at a time, just to get the perfect camera shot.

When he finally let go, the Mayor led her into the back of the office building, and Layla discreetly wiped her hand on her skirt. The Mayor was talking about all the great and wonderful changes that were going to happen in Maxville with his electoral campaign, and she bit back a comment of how she was too young to vote. Not that she'd vote for the tree-lopping and animal-habitat-harming man anyway. She concentrated on listening to the Mayor carefully when she noticed Ms. Peace across the room. Opening the door and ushering Layla into his office, the Mayor smiled again, that toothy smile that she didn't trust, and moved to sit behind his desk.

"Now, Layla, tell me what you think you can contribute to my team."

With that sentence, her interview began. She'd never been to an interview before, but Layla was positive that they usually had something to do with how well a person could do a job. The Mayor must have missed that memo, as he kept all of his questions purely on what she could do to make him look good to the public, how powerful she was, and if she had any qualms against promoting the Mayor if she saved Maxville from a monster or two. He had more than twenty people in his employment, ten of those supers, and the others the best in their chosen profession. His personal assistant alone was made to sound as if she would have personally steamrolled his pants if they weren't pressed in the morning.

Somehow, Layla managed to answer all of his questions, and with another toothy smile and extended hand, the Mayor offered her the apprenticeship. He joked about her running the office when he retired, but Layla was certain he said the same thing to every other person he hired, and she was right. Still, she thanked him for the opportunity, the job offer, and was ushered out of his office so he could go for dinner with the Strongholds. After seeing his personal assistant, and receiving information about the job, the pay, and the required forms she needed to fill out, Layla thanked Ms. Peace face to face once more before leaving.

...

Waiting until reaching the bus stop to pull out her phone, Layla text Warren, Zach and Ethan to tell them that she'd received the job. Warren text back a very quick congratulatory text since he was already at work, and Zach rang her with Ethan in the background as they sang an awful rendition of '_for he's a jolly good fellow_'.

Layla had no desire to return to her Great Aunt's house just yet, and so, she began walking through Maxville. She avoided the street that her old house was on, knowing that if she was so close to the Stronghold's home that she wouldn't be able to resist wrapping a few vines around Will's window, just to freak him out. It wouldn't be a good start to her new job, especially with the Strongholds knowing the Mayor personally.

Continuing through the town, Layla eventually found herself standing in front of the old house that was for sale. She was surprised that no aspiring developers had torn it down yet, but supposed that it was due to the fact that it wasn't as close to the main part of town, and it would be useless to make people drive so far for another shopping centre when one was already conveniently close. The _Paper Lantern_ only received such good business because it was rumoured that superheroes ate there, and people were eager to see if they could match the nondescript civilians to their superhero image. With the Commander's constant inability to remember to wear his glasses, Layla was surprised that his cover hadn't been blown years ago.

Realising that she'd been standing in the same spot for a long time and probably looked more than suspicious, Layla continued along the sidewalk quickly. Making her way to the _Paper Lantern_, Layla decided to celebrate her new job by eating out. She was sure that she could buy something with the small amount of change she had, even if it was just a spring roll.

As she reached the restaurant, Layla was dismayed to see that it was full, people milling about in the foyer as they waited for the next available table to be free.

"You here to see Warren, Miss?" a voice asked from nearby.

Layla looked in the direction of the voice, and smiled slightly when she saw Mrs. Woo standing beside the restaurant.

"Warren is around back. You go now," Mrs. Woo said, shooing her around the corner.

Surprised into following her order, Layla went to the back of the restaurant. A few of the younger chefs were having a quick break, smoke from their cigarettes littering the air. Holding her breath slightly, Layla smiled and passed them as fast as she could. They continued with their conversation, recognising her from the week before and not stopping her as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Layla? What are you doing here?" Warren hissed, looking around for Mrs. Woo so he could get Layla the hell out before she was noticed.

Layla grinned slightly. "Mrs. Woo sent me around the back because the restaurant's full."

"Of course she did," Warren muttered to himself, now looking for Mrs. Woo to glare at her.

"I was going to eat out to celebrate my job, but I guess that's out of the question considering how full it is out there," Layla said, glancing over his shoulder to see every table occupied.

"I'll see what I can do, okay?"

"Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that. I meant..." she was interrupted by a string of Cantonese from the head chef.

Warren answered back quickly, throwing up his arm as he mentioned Mrs. Woo.

Layla grimaced slightly. "Never mind me, you're busy. I'll just get going."

"If you leave now, Mrs. Woo will never let me live it down. Can you keep yourself entertained for a few hours in the locker room?" Warren asked, guiding her towards the door without waiting for an answer. "I'll be as quick as I can, and then we'll see about celebrating," he added, smiling at her brightly.

His smile must have done something to her knees, or to her brain, because her knees felt weak, and she couldn't seem to think of a response. Nodding slightly, Layla moved to sit on the closest bench before her legs gave out on her. Warren shut the door as he called out something else in Cantonese, returning to his job.

...

End of the eighth chapter.

Hope you liked it!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

**Warning:** Just a quick reminder that this is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic scenes later on, of both torture and a sexual nature, and quite a lot of the chapters involve swearing. Please do not read if you're not comfortable with these things. I will put a warning for torture scenes.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Nine

...

The after effects of Warren's smile lasted for a while longer than Layla thought they would, but half an hour later, she was bored.

Getting out her homework, she started on the essay she was had been assigned for English for Heroes. Each person in the class had been assigned a newspaper article about a hero's conquest of a villain, but rather than write about the hero, they were to write about the villain: his purpose, intent, and if he was really as bad as the media portrayed him to be. Even when she'd heard about the assignment, Layla had an uneasy feeling about it, reminded of the van with the satellite dish outside of her Great Aunt's house. It seemed as if this particular assignment was geared to see who could think like a villain rather than a hero. With that in mind, Layla intended to write two essays, one in favour and one against the villain. It would take more time, of course, but if she could review student's assignment from her class, then she'd be able to hand in the appropriate essay. She wasn't being paranoid, since everyone in the super world knew that the Mayor had access to a villain watch list, and Layla had no desire to be put on any such list over a school assignment. Or, after her recent Internet search, be put on any _more_watch lists.

When she'd finished the outline for both of her essays, Layla decided that was enough for an hour's work. After tearing a blank page out of her notebook, she put the work back in her bag, and went to the door to check on the kitchen. As soon as the door was open a crack, loud noises filtered into the room. Swearing in both English and Cantonese; a bell dinging every time an order was ready to be served; instructions being shouted across the kitchen; and the pots and pans bubbling and sizzling away. She couldn't see Warren anywhere, so Layla closed the door again, the noise stopping immediately, and returned to the bench.

Certain that she was alone, Layla began to create an orchard of miniature trees on the piece of paper, everything from apples and oranges to lemons and nectarines appearing before her. She kept them up as long as she could, and when they faded back onto the page, Layla attempted it again with a slightly larger tree. By the time she heard the door open behind her two hours later, she had created an apple tree twenty centimetres tall and kept it there for exactly twenty-nine minutes. The door closed, and the tree disappeared, Layla turning to face whoever had come in.

"You all right, hippie?" Warren asked as he walked over to her, two bowls in his hands.

"Fine," she replied, smiling briefly.

He noted the blank piece of paper in her hand, and raised his eyebrow slightly. "You're not supposed to use your powers outside of school," he whispered mockingly.

She flushed slightly but didn't reply.

"I know it's not much, but congratulations on getting the job," he said, offering a bowl of rice and vegetables with black bean sauce.

"That's really nice; I was just going to buy a spring roll or something."

"Just say thank you, hippie," he muttered, sitting on the bench next to her and eating his own meal.

"Thank you, Warren," Layla said, smiling at him brightly.

They ate their food in silence, with the clicking of their chopsticks the only sound for a long time. (_Layla was relieved to be able to eat Chinese food with someone who actually knew how to use chopsticks, rather than stabbing food with the pointy end. Or attempting to start a sword fight with her_.)

"Oh, almost forgot. I snuck these out too," Warren said, reaching into his pocket for two fortune cookies. He passed one to her with a grin.

"Read mine?" she asked, breaking her cookie in half and offering the end that had the paper inside.

He nodded, doing the same with his own fortune cookie.

"You first this time," Layla prompted.

"_To let true love remain unspoken is the quickest route to a heavy heart_. Your lucky numbers are 29, 5, 7, 32, 18... Huh."

"Aren't those the same numbers as before?" she asked. "Don't the fortune companies usually print the same fortunes and numbers to save money?"

"Usually. You should have had the same numbers as the last time you got this fortune," Warren said, frowning at the tiny piece of paper.

"I'm telling you, those numbers must really be lucky or something," Layla muttered, then looked at the paper in her hands to read Warren's fortune. "_All it takes to change the world is knowledge_. Your lucky numbers are 18, 32, 7, 5, and 29... Okay, that's just freaking me out now. What are the odds of getting the same numbers four times in a row?"

"I have no idea, but I doubt the odds are meant to be _this_ good. Maybe they really **are **lucky," Warren muttered.

The door opened, and a chef started telling Warren off loudly, something that even Layla could tell despite not knowing the language. His words were cut off sharply when he was pulled back into the kitchen by his apron. Moments later, Mrs. Woo appeared at the door, smiling.

"Sorry, sorry. Five more minutes on break, Warren," she said, the door closing behind her.

"Mrs. Woo must like you. She usually tells me off _before_Kim," Warren said, looking at Layla quizzically.

"Is it good or bad that she likes me?"

"If I get paid for the extra five minutes, then it's definitely good," he replied with a grin. Then he sat up a bit straighter, his grin fading. "But then, she's cheap, and I don't know how much she likes you. I'd better get back."

"Thanks for the dinner, Warren," she said, squeezing his hand gently before he took their bowls and headed to the kitchen.

"Stay here, I'll take you home," he said over his shoulder.

Layla frowned as the door closed. _Home. Was it weird that when he'd said that word, she'd immediately thought of **his** home, his black and red room? Was it weird that a house she'd lived in for almost four months felt less like home than a place she'd only spent the night at_?

Deciding not to continue with her miniature tree growing, Layla created a small vine that wrapped around her arm. Try as she might, the vine refused to bloom, and frustrated, she made it disappear. A few minutes later, she made the vine appear again, but still, no flowers. She tried the same thing five more times over the following hour and a half, but each time received the same result: nothing.

Hearing the door open, Layla hurried to make the vine disappear, standing up when she saw it was one of the younger kitchen hands.

"Hey, you're Warren's girlfriend, right?" he asked, looking her over.

Layla made a noncommittal sound, uncomfortable in the way he was looking at her. _Maybe the shirt and skirt really weren't as professional as she'd thought they were. She'd even made sure her skirt was below her knees_! Her hands were clasped behind her back, and she started to make a sharp cactus plant.

"Hurry it up, Franco. If you don't get out now, Kim will probably make you stay here overnight."

"All right, Peace, I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, leaving the room quickly.

"You okay, hippie?" Warren said, frowning slightly.

"I'm fine," she replied, showing him the plant in her hand with a grin.

"Oddly enough, I'm impressed... Franco's not known for his subtlety when it comes to the opposite sex," he muttered, shaking his head. "My shift's finishing in about half an hour; do you want to sit out here?"

She nodded, realising that the noise from the kitchen was much quieter. Grabbing her bag, she stepped out beside Warren, seeing that there were only three other people in the kitchen, all of them cleaning up.

"Did you get your homework done?" Warren asked as he started to wipe down the bench.

"Started it. I've got an essay to write for English about the villain's point of view, intent, purpose, and if they really were evil," she said, watching the circular motions of the cloth as he cleaned. "I'm worried about it though; it's like they're trying to see who can think like a villain," Layla admitted quietly, frowning slightly when the cloth stopped moving.

"It's not a good thing to ace that essay. If you've got any qualms about failing, I suggest you put them aside," he said softly, looking at her intently.

"That's what I figured, which is why I started writing two essays."

Warren's intense expression faded and he grinned at her broadly. "Smart, aren't you, hippie?"

"Someone has to be," she retorted, grinning.

He raised an eyebrow at her insult, and flicked his cloth at her, drops of water hitting her face. She made a noise of indignation, dipping her hand into the basin and flicking water back at him. Warren grinned and picked up the extendable faucet and hose.

"You wouldn't," Layla said, but she sounded uncertain even to her own ears.

Warren cast a brief glance around the kitchen, his grin broadening when he realised that they were the only two left. "No one will hear you scream."

"Want to bet on that? I'm very good at screaming. All of those Damsel in Distress classes as a sidekick really teach you how to work your vocal chords."

He laughed at her words, the hose limp in his grasp. Layla snatched it away, turning the weapon back on him quickly.

"Oh, come on, hippie. You wouldn't."

"No one will hear you scream," she taunted, grinning.

Before he had time to say something about her stealing his lines, Layla squeezed the trigger, and Warren was sprayed with warm water. She laughed at his expression, but held the hose out of his reach. A brief thought had the water evaporating from his face in a warm rush of air, and Warren muttered under his breath about psychotic redheads.

"Oh, come on. I made sure it was warm so you wouldn't be hurt with a face full of cold water," Layla said, putting the tap back when he just kept glaring at her.

"What?"

"I doubt you'd enjoy getting doused in cold water when you're a fire ... fighters must be really strong, I mean with all of the lifting they have to do, people and the hoses and stuff, you wouldn't want to have some skinny kid trying to rescue you when he'd probably be crushed by the hose," Layla rambled.

The moment she'd paused, Warren had no doubt that someone had entered the kitchen, and quickly continued to clean the bench, nodding every so often at Layla's words.

"Aren't you done yet, Peace?"

"Just have this bench, and I will be," he replied, wiping the last of it and rinsing out the cloth in the sink. "All done. Come on, let's go," Warren said, grabbing his bag and quickly guiding Layla out of the kitchen. "See you tomorrow night, Kim," he called over his shoulder, the screen door closing with a slam behind him.

Before they'd even turned the corner, the main door was closed and bolted shut.

"Kim is very temperamental, especially when he thinks people aren't working," Warren muttered, continuing to guide Layla up the road, his arm around her waist.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have distracted you," she said with a sheepish look.

"Don't apologise; I was the one who asked you to sit out there with me... Oh, damn it! There goes your bus," he said, sighing as he saw the bus turning the corner ahead.

"It's all right; I didn't really want to go to my Great Aunt's house anyway," Layla admitted.

Warren nodded in understanding, and a moment later, they were crossing the street to get to the opposite bus stop. Not even a minute later, a bus pulled up, empty but for the driver.

"Get on," Warren said.

Trusting him, she stepped forward and boarded the bus. Warren got on behind her, leading her to the back.

"So where does this bus take us?" Layla asked when they were seated.

"It takes the scenic route through town, but one of the stops is only a few streets away from my home. You've missed the last bus to your Great Aunt's, and I'm not going to let you sleep on the street when I have a lumpy and uncomfortable couch to offer," Warren said, grinning.

"How kind of you," Layla drawled, but grinned in return. "Thank you, Warren."

"You're welcome, hippie. Now, tell me why you didn't use cold water..."

"You're a fire elemental, it just seemed kind of cruel to douse you in cold water. It would have hurt you more with the cold than it did with the warm water, am I right?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment, but then nodded. "I'm not good with cold things," he muttered, a memory of freezing water making him fold his arms to ward away the remembered cold.

"When you design your outfit, you should make sure to use a thicker material. Maybe one that absorbs water before it reaches your body... Or one that repels it completely," she murmured.

"Great, I'll start sewing sponges together, shall I?"

Layla just laughed, and he knew that she was imagining him walking around clad in multicoloured sponges.

"I was going to suggest a material similar to one used for wetsuits, but if you really want to go around being called _Spongeman_, then go ahead!"

"Do you think wetsuit material would work?" he asked, hoping to change the subject very quickly.

"It might, but I think some are designed to retain body heat, so you'd probably roast yourself. We will have to find a material that lets you power up without harming yourself," Layla replied.

Warren nodded in response, liking the '_we_' part of her sentence more than he probably should have. He reached up around her, ringing the bell for the driver to stop at the next bus stop. He might have let his arm linger about her shoulders before pulling away, but neither one mentioned it. The bus stopped a moment later, and they got off, Layla thanking the driver over her shoulder.

"So, which way is home?" Layla asked, smiling at Warren.

_Home. He could see their home together, a kitchen for him, a large garden for her, a library with a fireplace and plant boxes on the windowsills, their black, red and green bedroom... Okay, it was official, he **desperately** needed to get laid_.

"This way," he said with a nod down a side street.

Layla followed him, wondering why Warren was suddenly being distant, and not just emotionally. She quickened her pace to catch up to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing, this just isn't the best part of town," he muttered in reply.

Layla looked at the cookie-cutter houses around them with their small white picket fences, pink flamingoes and novelty garden gnomes strewn about the yards. "Yeah, I can see that. I think that flamingo is the ringleader," she said, indicating to one with a small laugh. "Come on, what's really wrong? And do **not**say it's the neighbourhood. I could run down the street naked and if anyone in this place was awake to see it, I'd be the talk of the neighbourhood for the rest of their natural born lives," she said, rolling her eyes.

_Run down the street **naked**... Why on earth was she doing this to him? Had he cooked the rice too long or something? Was it some sort of revenge to see how hard she could make him_?

Not replying, Warren just turned and continued walking, making Layla hurry after him again.

"If you don't tell me what's wrong, then I'll go sleep on the streets tonight," Layla threatened as Warren's home came into view.

"No, you wouldn't."

"I know a nice place with lots of trees and leaves; I would," she replied, stopping in her tracks and folding her arms over her chest. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," he replied truthfully.

_Oh, no, of course there wasn't. There was absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to kiss her, imagining her naked, building an imaginary home for them to live in inside his head_. It was so ridiculously right that he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she forgot her question.

"See you tomorrow, Warren," Layla said, turning and heading down the street.

He growled slightly, equally amazed and annoyed at how stubborn she was. A line of fire appeared before her, making Layla stop for a moment. Before Warren could feel too victorious, the fire was covered in a vine, and she smirked at him before turning to step over it. He frowned when she didn't move, simply looking at the vine in front of her. _What was wrong_? He warred with himself for a moment, easily succumbing and moving over to where Layla was frozen on the spot.

"What's wrong?"

"The vine; it's flowering," Layla replied, sounding stunned.

"Yeah, so? We did the same thing before."

"I made the same vine earlier tonight, and it refused to bloom... It was missing something; your fire."

They were both silent for a moment, simply looking down at the green, red and black flowers blooming from the vine.

"Will you please just tell me what's wrong, Warren?" Layla asked.

He was surprised to see tears in her eyes, and immediately hated himself for being the cause of them. Warren sighed, wondering how to tell her what he'd been thinking without sounding completely insane. She shook her head at his silence, and moved to leave again. He grabbed Layla's arm before she could, pulling her against him. Kissing her, Warren kept his hands on her shoulders. He tried to keep control when she kissed him back, her arms around his neck, and quickly pulled his hands away when he felt the flames starting. Layla pulled away from the kiss, her eyes half lidded, and licked her lips.

"Nothing wrong with that," she murmured, opening her eyes properly, smiling at him.

The light from his hands cast interesting shadows on her face, and he watched the dark and light battle across her features.

"I didn't think you'd want anyone near you after Stro..."

Layla kissed him, stopping his words. "Let's not talk about him, okay?"

He agreed with a quick nod.

"Come on, it's getting late, let's go home," she said, taking his hand and heading towards his home. Behind them, the vine disappeared, the petals fading to nothing.

In minutes, Warren had unlocked the front door, let Layla inside, and followed after her, closing and re-locking the door behind him. His mother would already be home, but fast asleep, and he probably wouldn't see her until tomorrow afternoon.

"Is it weird that I think of this as more of a home than I do my Great Aunt's house?" Layla asked in a murmur, her fingers trailing along the wall gently.

"I don't think so," Warren replied, shrugging.

She yawned suddenly, hiding it behind her hand with a guilty look. "Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night," she admitted.

Warren didn't reply, taking her hand and leading her down to his bedroom. "You have the bed this time. I'll be on the couch."

"No, Warren. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing you're out there. It's your bed, you stay here."

He rolled his eyes at her, sitting on the bed to undo his laces and take his boots off. "Get under the sheet already, hippie."

"What?"

"Get into bed. We're _both _going to sleep on the bed, and I promise I will continue to be a perfect gentleman," Warren said, trying not to sound as sarcastic as he could have.

Layla frowned slightly, but thankfully, didn't argue, and simply reached down to take her shoes off as well.

"You might want to sleep in your gym shirt; I have a very high body temperature," he said, receiving a nod in reply.

Warren turned around and closed his eyes while Layla changed into her gym shirt and shorts, and she did the same as he stripped down to a pair of briefs. There was an embarrassed silence as they faced each other, and Layla's gaze immediately travelled down. She quickly looked up after seeing the tight briefs, her cheeks red.

"Get in. I don't usually cover up, so you can be safe under the sheet," he said with a slight grin.

Nodding, Layla climbed into the bed, pulling the sheet up as she lay down, facing him. Warren waited until she was comfortable before moving to the bed, lying beside her.

"Good night, Warren," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Good night, Layla," he murmured.

...

End of the ninth chapter.

Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Ten

...

Layla woke up, her entire body warm, despite the fact she'd kicked the sheet off during the night. She frowned slightly when she felt an unfamiliar weight on her ribs, opening her eyes to find herself in a very close proximity to Warren's face. Unable to look down due to that fact, she came to the conclusion that his arm was around her, and the extra warmth on her back was from his hand splayed across her spine. She'd held his hand before, but until this moment, she hadn't noticed just how large Warren's hands really were.

It took Layla a moment to realise that one of her arms was resting beneath Warren's pillow, and her other one was wrapped around his body as well, as if she'd taken it upon herself to cocoon him like a flower's petals closing for the night.

"_Layla_," Warren moaned breathily, and she stared at him with wide eyes.

He was still fast asleep, which obviously meant he was dreaming of her, and by the sound of that moan, she had no illusions as to what sort of dream he was having. Layla closed her eyes when she felt him stirring beside her, briefly wondering if it was normal to feel _pleased_ at the idea of someone having an erotic dream about you.

Warren opened his eyes to see Layla beside him. His dream was all too fresh in his mind, and the effects were starting to take place in his body. He unwrapped himself from around her gently, trying not to wake her, pushing away the far-too-enjoyable feeling of waking up beside her, their arms wrapped around one another.

Now, if she'd been naked the way she had been in his dream, Warren probably would have thought he'd died and gone to some twisted version of heaven. _And now he was thinking of Layla with wings and a ridiculously see-through toga on_. He cursed his imagination, getting off the bed quickly. He opened his chest of drawers, grabbing the first shirt and pair of pants that he saw. (_He'd learned at an early age to put his clothes away, otherwise he'd wake up in the morning with his favourite shirt as nothing but a pile of ashes._) Warren left the room too quickly to notice that Layla had her eyes open.

When the door had shut after Warren's hasty exit, Layla sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress. She opened her bag to pull out her two shirts and skirts from the day before. Deciding to wear her black interview shirt with her black and green skirt, Layla changed quickly, fixing her hair beneath a bandanna she found at the bottom of her school bag. The door opened just as she'd finished pulling her stockings on, and she hurried to straighten the skirt.

"Sorry," Warren said, closing the door quickly.

He wasn't thinking of her, the morning after they finally had sex, watching her pull her clothes on as he lay on the bed. _He really wasn't_... He wondered if they'd smell of flames and flowers.

The door opened a moment later, Layla smiling apologetically. "Sorry, I tried to be quick."

He just nodded in response, but she didn't seem offended by his silence.

"I'll make you a coffee to make up for it," she said, grinning slightly. "Black with two sugars, right?"

"Yeah," Warren answered, surprised that she knew.

She headed down the hallway, her bag slung over her shoulder. He looked after Layla for a moment, stunned that he was being rewarded with coffee after having dirty thoughts about her.

Layla was determined not to let things get awkward between them. Sure, he'd had an erotic dream about her, but she'd be lying if she hadn't thought about his arms around her before. Her resolve faltered when she made her way into the kitchen to find Ms. Peace sitting at the kitchen bench.

"Good morning, Layla," she said, looking at her over the rim of her coffee mug.

"Good morning, Ms. Peace."

"Would you care to explain why you were sleeping in my son's room?"

"We were both too stubborn to take the couch," Layla replied, pouring coffee into a mug, adding two sugars and stirring.

"Oh?" she murmured, trying not to grin. "Why weren't you at your own home?"

Layla was silent for so long that a prickling sensation began to form in her head, the need to answer Ms. Peace's question starting to overwhelm her. Taking a deep breath, Layla counted to five before answering at her own inclination.

"My Great Aunt and I had a fight, and I didn't want to go back to her house."

The prickling feeling disappeared, and there was that look of pity and regret on Ms. Peace's face again.

"She missed the last bus as well," Warren added, coming into the kitchen.

He accepted the coffee mug from Layla with a grin, thanking her. He ignored the surprised look from his mother, the impulse in his head to tell her everything, and opened the refrigerator door to get out the carton of juice. Warren poured a drink for Layla, handing it to her despite her protests that she wasn't hungry or thirsty. In contradiction, her stomach gurgled, and she took the glass with tinged cheeks.

For a moment, all Warren's mother could do was stare. Warren had her habit of small sentences and mere grunts of noise before caffeine, yet here he was, pouring juice and arguing with Layla to just drink the stuff or he'd tip it down the sink.

"So, what are your plans for today?" she asked, redirecting their attention away from what was soon to become a heated discussion over wasting food and drinks.

"We've organised a study session at Ethan's house today," Layla replied.

"I'm working tonight, so I'll be home late," Warren added, though she already knew that.

"Ethan is the sidekick who melts, right?"

They both nodded in response.

"You'll give me his number in case I need to contact you?" she asked Warren.

"I've got my phone with me, mum."

"What happens if the phone runs out of battery the moment I need you, or you accidentally burn it again?" she asked pointedly.

He sighed, searching his phone contacts to find the number. Warren wrote it on a piece of paper, sticking it to the fridge with a magnet.

"I'd better get going now," Layla said, quickly rinsing out her glass. "I want to get all of my homework ready. Thank you again for dinner, Warren," she added with a bright smile.

The plant on top of the fridge seemed to respond to Layla's smile, the leaves themselves brightening, and Warren's mother frowned briefly. _She thought that thing was fake! And what did Layla mean by dinner? Had they gone on a date? Wasn't she dating Will Stronghold_?

Warren saw the look on his mother's face, knowing that he'd face an inquisition the moment Layla left. "I'll come with you. I have no idea how to get to Ethan's place," he added, leaving to get his bag before his mother could make him change his mind.

"You had dinner with Warren?"

"To celebrate my job," Layla agreed with a nod. "I went to the _Paper Lantern_ to eat, and Mrs. Woo let me go to the kitchen because they were full."

"That was nice of her," she replied, slightly disappointed that it hadn't been an actual date. Which brought her to her next thought. "How are things going with Will?"

All of a sudden, the plant on the fridge grew abruptly, turning vicious with sharp thorns and sharp teeth, a Venus flytrap that looked like it would bite through her arm if she was close enough.

"He cheated on me with Magenta," Layla said tersely.

"Ready to go, hippie?" Warren asked, not noticing the huge monstrosity on the fridge.

Layla smiled at him, and the Venus flytrap faded to it's original budding form. They both bid her farewell, and she returned it with a wave, not trusting her voice.

It took some time after the front door had closed before Ms. Peace could calm herself enough to get up and venture past the plant. She decided that watering the plant might be a good idea; she had no desire to make that **thing** angry at her.

...

The sun was shining, and as it was the first day of the weekend, it seemed as though everyone in the neighbourhood had decided to go out. There were no cars in the driveways, no children running about, no adults mowing their lawns. It was eerily quiet, and neither Layla nor Warren were inclined to break the silence.

"I have to remove the tree from inside the room. Do you want to go in through the front?" Layla asked as they walked up her Great Aunt's driveway to the side of the house.

"I'll go up with you," Warren said, grinning.

"All right, hold on," Layla said as a tree began to sprout from the ground.

Taking hold of the rapidly growing branch, Warren forced himself to keep his eyes open as a foothold grew beneath his feet, and they shot up into the air. Layla stepped onto the roof calmly, but it took a moment longer for Warren to relax his grip on the trunk to follow her. He grabbed a pear before the tree disappeared, watching as it sank back down into the earth as if it had never been there in the first place.

Layla held her hand against the vines that were crisscrossed over her window, frowning when she felt something sticky against her palm. She sniffed her hand gingerly, her stomach churning at the recognised smell of weed killer. The vines were screaming in pain, every cell within them dying at a rapid rate, even as they struggled to keep the life that she had given them.

"What's wrong?" Warren asked, stepping towards her.

"My Great Aunt poured weed killer over the vines. They're screaming; they're dying," Layla murmured, a small sob escaping her.

"Isn't that what you do with your power?" he asked hesitantly.

"No! I return them to whatever I make them out of; the ground, the earth, or back to nutrients in the air itself. I don't **kill** them!"

The vines on the window branched out suddenly, circling around Warren's feet, despite the uneven roof. They seemed to be circling, searching, as if they were trying to find a way to get inside him.

"Any time now, hippie," Warren said, not wanting to make any sudden movements in case that set the vines off.

Layla simply watched the vines for a moment, feeling that same sensation rippling beneath her skin. The feeling of waiting, of growing, of something special. She waited a moment longer, the circles becoming smaller around Warren's feet. Suddenly, they disappeared to the vines that were on the window, and without a word, Layla returned her attention to the window. She started to remove the vines slowly, not wanting to aggravate their pain further.

Warren sat on the roof, finishing off the pear. He'd seen the look on Layla's face as she watched the vines, and had no doubt that one day, she'd simply watch as they entered his body, rippling beneath his skin. Warren found that he didn't mind that thought, and put it down to sexually frustrated hormones, or some twisted version of trust.

On the day of her mother's death, he'd been too stunned by everything that had happened to move to her, and he knew that even if he'd tried, the others would have held him back. While the others had been focused on the green lines beneath her skin, Warren had watched Layla's face. She'd had a look of pure happiness and absolute _completion_ on her face, as if having her power affect her like that was something she'd been waiting for all of her life. He hoped he'd feel the same way.

He looked over at Layla as she removed the last of the vines from the bedroom window. Warren couldn't help but wonder what the vines inside her body meant and if they were doing something to her, changing her in a way that no one could see.

"There, done," Layla murmured, the final vine disappearing into the house's wooden frame.

She opened the window and stepped into the room. Warren stood up, brushing off his pants and following Layla inside. He saw the open box, a jumper, blanket, a few photographs, books, and odd pieces of jewellery scattered on the floor.

"I'm going to have a quick shower, and then we'll head over to Ethan's, is that all right?" Layla asked as the tree in front of the door began to fade back into the wooden floor.

"Sure. Mind if I read this while I wait?" he asked, picking up one of the books off the floor.

She nodded hesitantly, trusting him to treat her mother's things with care. He sat at her desk, opening the book and starting to read as Layla went through her suitcase to find clean clothes.

"Back soon," she called, leaving to the bathroom quickly.

Warren made a noise in reply, quickly becoming engrossed in the book. It was only when he saw that he was nearly 100 pages in, that he realised he couldn't hear the shower running or Layla moving around. He set the book down, leaving the room.

He was silent as he searched his way through the house, unsure what may have happened to make Layla so quiet. The house was a two-storey, and had all manner of expensive, fancy and delicate things that made it more than obvious that Layla's Great Aunt was rich and had no children to spend the money on, or worry about breaking the ornaments. He was fairly sure that an original Van Gogh painting was hanging in the lounge room.

Warren almost walked past the kitchen, thinking it was some sort of indoor greenhouse, but the lack of plant life in the rest of the house made him double back. He stepped into the room, grass beneath his feet. The few plants that Layla had brought to her Great Aunt's had grown to encompass the entire room, the floorboards ripping up to create trees that brushed against the high ceilings.

He stopped short on seeing Layla standing at what he presumed to be the kitchen bench. Her skin was bathed in a green light from the plants surrounding her, but it was the green lines beneath her skin, and the blank look in her green eyes that made him pause. Vines circled her, as they'd done to him not even half an hour earlier, but these ones didn't seem to be looking for a way to get inside of her. They had a wide berth around Layla's feet, and as Warren stepped closer, they started to climb until they were nothing but a spinning tornado, shielding her body. He could see glimpses of Layla through small gaps in the shield, but she seemed oblivious to him. The moment he tried to move closer to her, the circling shield stopped. The thorns on the vines became sharper, and the gaps between the vines disappeared as they thickened, readying themselves to shoot at him.

...

Raising her arm back, she swung the golf club, hitting the ball with a satisfying _thwack_. Despite the clear sky, the wind was strong, and she watched in dismay as what _had_ lined up as a good shot became nothing short of dismal. Her golf ball flew straight into the clump of trees on the edge of the green.

"Oh, bad luck, Greta. You know the rules, you have to play where it lands," one of her so-called friends called, grinning.

Layla's Great Aunt glowered, then turned to her friends with a smile. "Fine, I'll play from the trees, and I'll _still_ beat you," she said, going over to her buggy.

She didn't wait for a reply, stepping on the pedal and driving down the hill. The wind whipped up her friends' laughter, mocking and taunting her with it as she headed for the trees. Muttering to herself, she stopped the buggy and stepped out, taking her golf club with her. Hitting a few dead branches and fallen leaves out of her way, she eventually found her ball. It was sitting atop a small mound of dirt and grass, resting perfectly so she could hit it out of the trees.

_This was going to be far too easy_, she thought to herself, grinning as she moved to line her shot up.

Raising her arm, she cried out when the club got caught in the branches of the tree behind her. She frowned slightly, certain that the branches hadn't been that low a moment ago. Jumping up, she tried to grab the club, but it seemed even higher than before. Muttering out loud, she glared up at the club, and then looked for a dead branch to knock it down with. Not finding any, she looked at the tree itself. There was a small foothold close to the bottom of the trunk, and she figured that she was just tall enough to be able to stand on it and knock the club out of the branches. Taking hold of the trunk, she pulled away sharply, the leaves stinging her hands. Thorns from the vine that was wrapped at the base of the tree scratched at her legs. The wind picked up and her golf club was blown out of the branches. She grabbed it, her vision swimming before her, and ran out of the trees, not caring about her game anymore.

There was some laughter as she stumbled out from the tree line, but it quickly stopped when her friends saw the gouges on her legs and the rash that was spreading up her arms.

"Greta!" she heard her name being shouted, but she couldn't seem to make her lips form words.

Her vision went hazy and she blacked out just as her friends reached her.

...

Layla blinked quickly, startled out of her daze by a powerful smell surrounding her. She frowned slightly on seeing nothing but a wall of vines before her, the plant starting to bloom with red, green and black flowers.

"Warren?" she called out, looking up to see smoke covering the ceiling.

"Are you all right, Layla?" he called, slowly retracting the flames from the vines.

The vines began to fall, dropping to the ground uselessly, to reveal Layla standing in the middle, looking confused and no longer green-veined.

"I'm fine. What happened?" she asked, seeing the plants that had sprouted and trees in the room.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Warren replied briefly.

Around them, the trees and plants began to shrink, returning to their original size, or in the trees' case, back into the floor. Layla looked down, realising that her hand was gripped tightly, and she saw the note from her Great Aunt.

"My Great Aunt wants to send me to a boarding school for supers," she said, smoothing out the note and attached pamphlet.

A group of girls were pictured on the front of the pamphlet, all of them identical in their clothing, hairstyles, and even their smiles. Layla felt sick just looking at them, let alone the idea of a boarding school that would have cliques that she could never fit into; the authority that she'd never accepted, not with her stubbornness, and definitely not with her upbringing at peace protests before she could even walk. Layla had never really liked being friends with girls before her friendship with Magenta (_and didn't __**that**__ just prove the reason why_?), and going to an all-girls super school just meant that the girls would be **super** bitchy.

"No wonder you went all Amazonian in here," Warren muttered, glancing at the pamphlet in distaste. "What are you going to do?" he asked, looking at her and pulling her out of her thoughts.

"I'm **not** going to that school," she said immediately, shaking her head and stepping away from the bench.

A loud ringing noise coming from upstairs startled both of them, and Layla hurried out of the kitchen to where her phone was ringing. The caller ID showed that it was Ethan, and she answered the call quickly.

"Hey... Yeah, sorry... No, he's with me... We're still coming over... We're leaving now... Okay, see you soon," she hung up, looking over to Warren.

"You still want to go? We can stay here and trash the place," he replied with a grin, his fists flaming up.

Layla grinned, the idea making her happier than she thought it would, an image of trees and flames destroying the expensive house around them. She squashed the thrill of satisfaction and shook her head briefly. "I just want to get as far away from here as possible," she muttered, gathering her school things. "Do you think your mum would mind if I spent the night at your house again, just so I can work things out?"

Warren knew that his mother would probably inundate him with questions and presumptive glances for weeks on end, but he nodded anyway. "It'll be fine," he said, picking up his own bag.

"Thanks, Warren," she said, relieved.

Layla packed a change of clothes, underwear, and pyjamas into her school bag, along with her notebooks and pencil case. She closed the bedroom window, but didn't lock it, just in case she wanted to get in that way again later. Leading Warren outside, Layla closed and locked the front door with her key, and they headed down to the bus stop quietly.

The bus arrived a few minutes later, full of loud youths and frustrated adults. Warren glared at two boys who had their feet on the seats, not allowing anyone to sit beside them, chatting to each other over the back rest. Their bravado didn't last long against his low growl, leather jacket, and clenched fists, and in seconds, the two boys were sitting beside each other, the seat behind them empty. Layla grinned as she slid onto the seat, Warren sitting beside her, continuing to glower at the two kids.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the stop closest to Ethan's house, and Warren glared at the two boys again before getting off the bus after Layla. His fierce expression faded when he realised where they were.

"What's wrong?" Layla asked, frowning slightly.

"I didn't realise that Ethan lived so close to Maxville Penitentiary," he replied, looking over at the looming warehouse.

Layla was silent for a moment, and then moved to take his hand in her own. Warren seemed startled by her presence, then shook his head and continued down the road with her, their hands still entwined.

Ethan opened the door with a grin. "Come in, Zach's just finishing the omelettes," he said, leading them into the dining room.

"I've got cheese and bacon omelettes, and for you, Layla, mushroom and spinach omelettes," Zach called out.

"Sounds great," she replied, taking a seat across from Ethan.

Warren sat beside her, silent as he thought of his father, only ten blocks over. Baron Battle, who could explode inanimate objects with little more than a thought, was sitting rotting away in a prison cell, surrounded by power suppressors, the white rooms far too similar to the Detention Room at Sky High. Just the thought of that room made Warren never want to get detention again.

"Okay, who's ready to eat?" Zach asked, coming into the dining room with two plates, miniature omelette towers sitting on both.

"Oh, my god. You really did buy four cartons of eggs, didn't you?" Layla asked, wondering how on earth she was going to be able to eat it all.

"Well, yeah. One carton each," Zach said, setting the plates down. "I wasn't going to miss out just because I burnt out, and I figured you'd have more right than any of us to egg the Mayor's car," he said, shrugging.

"Are there any eggs left?" Warren asked suddenly, brought out his thoughts.

"Nah, man, I used them all up."

"Why?" Ethan asked Warren, frowning briefly.

"Because we know where Stronghold lives, and I figure he could use a few eggs thrown at him."

"Don't tempt me," Layla muttered, reaching across to take an omelette from the plate. After checking it was the vegetarian one, she started to eat, the three guys following suit.

"These are really good, Zach," Ethan said, sounding surprised.

"Thanks, man, love the faith," Zach said, rolling his eyes.

Ethan swallowed quickly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "That's not fair; I've never heard of you cooking before, how was I to know?" he argued.

They bantered for a while, Layla and Warren just watching in amusement as they ate their omelettes. Ethan stopped arguing quickly when he realised he was missing out on Zach's cooking. When the plates were empty and the table cleared, they all took out their relevant homework and assignments.

"Which villain did you get assigned anyway, hippie?" Warren asked after Zach and Ethan asked her about the sort of work she had now as a Hero.

"The Incredible Genius," she replied, reading over the article. "They don't actually tell you much about the villain in the article about their capture," Layla muttered with a frown.

"Well, that's probably one of the reasons you're given it. If you find out any more about the villain other than the fact they were caught for being dastardly to humanity, then you might actually agree with them," Warren muttered.

"W-what? You can't _agree_ with a villain," Ethan said, shocked.

"The Incredible Genius wanted to make university free for anyone who wanted to study. Of course, attempting to kidnap the Dean of the University of Maxville probably wasn't the best way to go about it," Layla admitted, glancing down at her article. "Especially when he left the phone plugged in. He called himself a genius?"

"Yeah, well that's just _one_..."

"The Spinner Sisters wanted to abolish the use of harmful chemicals that industries used when making household cleaning agents, bug sprays, and the like," Layla said. "They were originally superheroes who had their own clothing store, but after their seventh appeal to the local government was denied, they turned evil. They changed their name to the Spinner Sisters, and tried to take over Maxville in an attempt to stop the industrial plants by using the city itself as a hostage."

She didn't look at Warren, who was looking at her intently. After hearing about the Spinner Sisters from Ms. Peace, she'd been curious as to what had motivated them to spin entire webs across the town, and had looked them up when she'd had a moment alone.

"Really, seven appeals?" Ethan asked, frowning as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"Okay, so maybe there's two villains. But what about Royal Pain, you can't agree with her, can you?" Zach asked, his tone a mix of triumph and worry.

"Of course not, she was crazy."

Zach sighed in relief, a moment too soon.

"But if she was being bullied that bad, she should have done something else about it, not try to turn all of the superheroes into babies. Besides, her plan wouldn't have worked when everyone's parents found out what she'd done. It'd be pretty hard to hide a house full of screaming infants... What?" Layla asked when she saw their faces.

"You really think everyone's parents would have cared?" Warren asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, I can't imagine your mum liking the idea of you being turned into a baby and being kidnapped by Royal Pain to be raised as a villain. I could probably guess what she'd do to get you back," Layla said.

"What would that be?" Warren asked, his arms folded across his chest as a warning.

Layla ignored the warning, and answered, "She'd get your dad to help find you."

Across from her, both Zach and Ethan paled, staring at Warren as they waited for the inevitable burst of flames and anger.

"Have you been sniffing weed killer or something, hippie? What on earth makes you think my mum would _willingly_ work with my dad?"

"She loves you more than she hates him. And really, she had to love him at one point, or else you wouldn't exist... Besides, even if he's evil, you're still his son, and I'm sure he'd hate that a villain had hold of you that wasn't himself," she replied, shrugging briefly.

Warren's response was cut off by Layla's phone ringing, and she frowned as she checked the caller ID, not recognising the number.

"Hello, this is Layla," she answered politely, in case it was someone from the Mayor's office.

Zach and Ethan went quiet when they heard Layla gasp, and Warren looked at her in concern.

"I'll be there as soon as I can... Yes, thank you for letting me know," Layla murmured, hanging up.

"What's wrong, Lay?" Zach asked, frowning when she just sat there in a stunned silence.

"It's my Great Aunt... She's been taken to a hospital in Westville. She went off the green at golf to get her ball, and came back covered in a poison rash," she said, glancing at Warren.

He remembered Layla's blank expression as she seemed to see something miles away. _But this... This just wasn't possible! Was it_?

...

End of the tenth chapter.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

_The Heavens and Earth rose out of Chaos_.  
>John Milton - A Paradise Lost<p>

_Read on, oh faithful ones_.

...

Chapter Eleven

...

There was a long moment of silence after Layla's statement, and then Warren stood up.

"I'll go with you to the hospital," he said, packing his things.

Grateful, Layla nodded, starting to pack up as well.

"We'll come too. My mum can drive us," Ethan said quickly, going to find his mother before they could argue.

Across from them, Zach closed his notebooks and quietly packed his bag, his thoughts still on the conversation that had been interrupted by the phone call. He was pulled from his thoughts when he saw Warren reach across to Layla, taking her hand and squeezing gently. Zach frowned slightly when he saw the expression on Warren's face. It wasn't quite support and reassurance so much as secretive and protective. He left under the pretence to find Ethan, but stayed in the corridor, listening to whatever they'd say while alone.

"It wasn't you, Layla. It couldn't have been," Warren said quietly.

"How do you know that? Do you really think this is a coincidence, Warren? She wants to send me away, I don't want to go, and suddenly she's been poisoned on a golf course? She goes to the one in Westville, Warren. It's man-made from the grass up; there's no way they'd put poisonous plants on the range!"

"Hey, my mum's just getting ready to go," Ethan announced, walking into the room from the kitchen's entrance.

Zach hurried to go to the kitchen so he could follow Ethan into the dining room. If he'd gone in by the other entrance, it would raise too much suspicion. Moments later, Ethan's mother came in through the hallway entrance, her bag on her shoulder and her hair brushed back into a haphazardly made ponytail.

"Hey, kids, all ready? I'm really sorry to hear about your Great Aunt, Layla. Did the doctors tell you if she'd be okay?"

"It was one of her friends that called me, actually. They told the doctor I was her next-of-kin in place of my mother."

"I'm sure they'll tell you more when you get there," Ethan's mother said sympathetically, and then bustled everyone out to her car.

The forty-minute drive to the private hospital in Westville was silent with everyone consumed by their own thoughts and worries. Layla was given the room number for her Great Aunt, but before they could leave, she was firmly told that only three people could enter at a time, and one of her Great Aunt's friends had stayed behind to look after her. Zach immediately volunteered to stay in the waiting room with Ethan and his mother. Layla thanked them and left with Warren.

"Maybe I shouldn't go in," Warren said as they arrived at the door. "Your Great Aunt doesn't like me, and I doubt she'd like to see me now," he muttered.

"Please, Warren. I need you," Layla said, her hand slipping into his.

He told himself that he was all sorts of sick to be thinking of her saying those words to him, _breathless as he teased her relentlessly and her hand moving to_... Warren frowned slightly when he felt a vine wrap around his wrist, keeping their hands linked together. _That didn't help stop the dirty thoughts_...

"All right, I'll come in," he relented.

She smiled in thanks, the vine disappearing as she opened the door.

"You must be Layla? We spoke on the phone; I'm Frieda Olgestein, a friend of your Great Aunt's," a woman said, holding out her hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Olgestein," Layla said, shaking her hand briefly, and immediately taking Warren's again. "Have the doctors said anything about my Great Aunt?"

"Nothing more than what the ambulance drivers said; just that she's been poisoned by some sort of plant, and as no one knows what sort of plant injured her, they won't know how extensive the damage is until they've received the test results," she replied. "The doctor's doing her rounds, but should be back in half an hour," she added when she saw the expression on Layla's face.

"Oh, thank you," she said, looking at her Great Aunt.

The skin that wasn't covered in the poison rash was grey against the white bed, and the rash that had begun on her arms was now covering her neck. The gouges on her legs had been bandaged, but blood was still seeping through the cloth. It looked as though her body was killing her from the inside out, and not even the drugs that the doctors had administered were doing anything to help her.

As Layla watched her Great Aunt, Frieda watched her, a slight frown on her face as she took in the worried expression on the young girl's face. _**This**__ was the unruly rebellious girl who was making Greta Auden's life a living hell? She looked like she was made out of cotton candy and rainbows, for goodness sakes! And if she had been a bit unruly earlier, well, her mother had just died, wasn't that to be expected_?

Frieda decided to talk to Greta when she woke up, to ensure that sending Layla away would really be the best thing. She tried not to tear up when Layla moved forward to take her Great Aunt's hand. Looking at the boy who had entered with her, Frieda was briefly startled to see him watching her intently. Then he looked at Layla, and his entire demeanour changed, his expression softening, like a raging fire cooling down to an ember. (_Now, wasn't that an odd thought to have about a person_?) Of course, he didn't look like the most pleasant boy, but Greta hadn't always been the best looking person herself. _Why, before her makeover, she'd looked positively plain_!

Layla glanced back to Warren when she took her Great Aunt's hand. He'd realised what her look meant in a moment; she'd been the one to cause this, and she could take it away, but not in front of her Great Aunt's friend. Warren gave an imperceptible nod, and turned to Frieda, giving her his most charming smile.

(_Well, that smile certainly changed things_, Frieda thought with a blush.)

"Would you like to get some fresh air with me, Mrs. Olgestein? I'm sure you've done nothing but worry over Layla's Great Aunt all this time, and neglecting yourself in the process," Warren said, offering his arm to her.

She took it with a soft giggle, agreeing that yes, she had been neglecting herself to look after her friend. They were gone in a moment, the door closing behind them with a click. Layla made a mental note to repay Warren in some way later.

Turning back to her Great Aunt, she seriously considered not doing anything. The doctors had no idea what sort of poison it was, and they couldn't treat her in time to save her. She would never be suspected. But... But Layla was still only 16 years old, and her Great Aunt was her only living relative. If her Great Aunt died before Layla was legally recognised as an adult, then she'd be put under the care of the government, which never boded well for those with superpowers. With no parents to look after them, orphaned supers were often taken away and never seen again. Some claimed that the government were training them to be soldiers, others said that they were experimented on. No matter what people thought, they all agreed that whatever happened to the orphaned children, it was not good.

With a sigh, Layla closed her eyes and rested her hand on her Great Aunt's once more. There was a whisper beneath her skin, a recognition of her power. Slowly, pushing away all thoughts of being slapped, weed killer, and boarding school, Layla began to pull on the poison that was within her Great Aunt's body. The poison resisted at first - it had been created with those thoughts in mind and those few minutes of emotion were stronger than her current desire to help her relative - but Layla had been the one to create it, and as such, she had the power to control and remove it. The poison slipped away from her Great Aunt, crawling down her neck and chest, back down her arms and into her hands until it was completely gone. The same poison had prevented the gouges from closing, and now that it was no longer in her body, the blood stopped oozing from her legs.

Layla pulled away with a soft gasp, her eyes bright green. She hurried to make a small bunch of flowers, changing the poison into something harmless and entirely different from it's original form. The flowers wouldn't last as long as hers normally did, but Layla thought it was a small price to pay.

On the hospital bed, her Great Aunt opened her eyes briefly, now feeling heavily medicated from the sedatives and other medication the doctors had given her. She blinked slowly, seeing Layla's red hair beside her, frowning slightly when she saw a green glow from where her eyes should be. Then the door opened, and when she looked back to Layla a moment later, her eyes were brown once more.

"I hope you'll remember this when you wake up," Layla murmured. "I will not be going to that boarding school," she said, softly but firmly.

The doctor stepped forward when she saw Layla had finished talking to her Great Aunt, and gave the young girl a smile, pleased to see that she was taking such care with her relative.

"It seems that the medication is working," she said, seeing that the rash had disappeared completely. "I'll just change your Great Aunt's bandages now. Would you like to help?"

"Oh, I'm not good with blood, sorry. I might come back later," Layla said. She squeezed her Great Aunt's hand briefly, standing and leaving.

"You're lucky to have such a caring niece," the doctor murmured as she unwrapped Greta's bandages.

Greta managed a drowsy nod before slipping back into the darkness.

Not wanting to go to the waiting room, Layla headed further down the corridor. She frowned slightly on hearing Frieda's voice, and noticed a side exit into a small garden.

"Oh, there you are. We were just about to go in to find you, weren't we, cutie?" Frieda asked Warren, squeezing his arm as she smiled up at him.

Layla's lips twitched slightly at the nickname, and she knew that whatever she did to repay him would have to make up for that as well.

"The doctor's just gone in to see my Great Aunt. I thought you'd want to hear how she's going for yourself," she said, gently guiding Frieda to the door.

"Oh, yes, of course. I'm sure the doctor will want to talk to me since I came in with Greta," she murmured, disappointed at the loss of Warren's warmth beside her.

As she stepped into the hospital once more, Frieda straightened her shoulders and headed down to Greta's room with determination.

"You owe me big, hippie," Warren growled.

"Believe me, I know," she said, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Thank you," Layla added, rising on her toes to kiss his cheek.

Surprised at her action, he just stood there dumbly for a moment. "You're welcome," he murmured finally. "I found something I think you'll like," Warren said, taking her hand and leading her towards the back of the garden.

The centre of the garden had a large fountain, ironically named the Fountain of Youth, and it encompassed the entire view when standing in front of it. At the back of the garden, hidden within the privacy of the fountain, stood a garden gazebo, roses climbing the lattice walls and a grape vine circling the edge of the roof.

"It's beautiful," Layla murmured, stepping forward to touch the roses softly.

They seemed to shake out beneath her fingers, making themselves stand out, their colours becoming that bit more vibrant, just for Layla's touch. Warren couldn't blame them for it, really. He followed her, watching as she took a seat within the gazebo, lying back on the cushion. She looked over at him, grinning slightly as the grapes ripened above him. (_In the imaginary house in Warren's mind, a gazebo was immediately added to the back yard, adjoining the garden, of course_.)

"How'd it go with your Great Aunt?" he asked after picking a bunch of grapes and sitting beside her.

"Well, she's alive and no longer poisoned," Layla replied.

Before he could answer, she took one of the grapes off the small vine, pressing it to his lips. He opened his mouth almost automatically, watching her as he let her place the fruit in his mouth. Warren closed his mouth a moment too soon, her fingertips caught in his lips. He grinned to himself when Layla's cheeks went red, and let his tongue flick against her fingertips gently, letting go a moment later.

"Nice grapes," he said, resting back on the seat. "Mrs. Woo would kill for fruit this fresh," he added, grinning. "Oh, shit. _Mrs. Woo_," Warren hissed, realising that he was meant to be at work at 4pm.

He checked his watch, biting back another curse when he saw that it was already past 3pm.

"It's all right; we'll just leave now and get Ethan's mum to drop you off at the _Paper Lantern_," Layla said, standing quickly.

Taking his hand, she put the grapes back on the vine, and lead him to the door to go back into the hospital.

"Oh, there you are! Layla, come inside. Your Great Aunt is awake and asking for you," Frieda called before they could go past the room. "You too, Warren," she said, smiling at him.

"Go... Get Ethan's mother to take you to work. I'll catch a bus to my Great Aunt's house," Layla muttered, letting go of his hand before Frieda pulled them both inside. "Sorry, Mrs. Olgestein, but Warren's got to leave, or he'll be late for work. You said my Great Aunt was asking for me?" she said, guiding her into the room before she could protest Warren's departure.

He continued down the corridor, almost skidding when he entered the waiting room. Ethan's mother looked suitably worried, and Ethan and Zach looked up from a video playing on the former boy's phone.

"I'm really sorry, but I've got to get to work, would you mind taking me, please?" Warren asked in a rush, charming Ethan's mother with a smile and manners.

"Oh, of course. But what about Layla? How is her Great Aunt?" she asked, even as she stood to leave.

"Layla's going to catch a bus. Her Great Aunt's doing better; it looks like the poison's almost out of her system," he replied.

Ethan and Zach hurried to follow the other two out before they were left behind.

"Dude, do you really think it's okay to let Layla catch a bus back? I mean, it's _Westville_," Zach muttered.

"She'll be fine; Westville's like an entire town for retired rich people," Warren replied, but Zach could see the swirl of smoke that left his clenched fist.

"That's why it has such a high crime rate," Ethan piped up. "People get attacked for their jewellery, handbags, all sorts of stuff... But Layla will be fine," he added quickly, alarmed at the low growl that came from the back seat.

Warren took his phone out of his pocket, sending a text to Layla, instructing her to come to the _Paper Lantern_ so he could take her to her Great Aunt's after work.

In the hospital, where her Great Aunt had fallen asleep once more (she hadn't said a thing to her, simply looking at her face as intently as her drug-filled system would allow), Layla was immediately chastised for having her phone on. She hurried to say how she'd forgotten to turn it off in her worry, and left to check the message and answer the text. Behind her, the doctor and Frieda both agreed how lucky Greta was to have such a doting niece.

Outside in the garden, Layla read the text with a slight frown. She wasn't fond of taking orders from anyone, and now wasn't any different. Replying that she'd be fine and could take care of herself, Layla wasn't overly surprised to receive a crisp message in return, telling her to just do what he asked so he wouldn't worry. Sighing, Layla agreed to go to the _Paper Lantern_, figuring she could do at least that much for him after being called _cutie_ by Mrs. Olgestein.

Going back into the hospital and down to her Great Aunt's room, the doctor leaving for another patient, she was told that her Great Aunt would be required to stay at the hospital until the poison in her system was cleared, but everything seemed to be getting better. Frieda had already left to get a change of clothes for Greta. Layla was welcome to stay, but her Great Aunt had just been given another dose of medication that would keep her knocked her for a while.

Thanking the doctor, Layla went into the room to get her bag, only to realise that she'd left it in the car. As her purse was in her bag, she had no way of catching the bus back to Maxville. Sighing, Layla looked at her Great Aunt, thinking of the boarding school again. Shaking her head, she left the room before she hurt a defenceless woman. Feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket, Layla to answer the call when she saw it was Ethan.

"Hey Layla. We've just found your bag in the car. Do you want my mum to come back to pick you up?" Ethan offered.

"Would she mind? I don't want to inconvenience her, but I can't stay here overnight, and since my purse is in my bag, I have no way of paying for a bus or taxi."

There was a moment of silence, and she heard the phone exchanging hands.

"We're coming back, hippie. Stay where you are. No arguments," Warren said firmly, ending the call abruptly.

Layla frowned at her phone, but quickly pocketed it when a nurse walked past with a glare at the offending piece of technology. Not feeling comfortable standing in the corridor, and not wanting to risk returning to her Great Aunt's room, Layla went to sit at the front of the hospital.

Ten minutes later, Ethan's mother pulled the car over in the emergency standing, allowing Layla enough time to get in the back seat. She'd barely put her seat belt on before the car pulled out suddenly.

"Sorry, kids! Hold on!"

Layla gripped Warren's hand tightly, and on the other side of Warren, Zach had his eyes screwed up, holding onto the handhold above the door for dear life.

In thirty terrifying minutes' time, Warren arrived at the _Paper Lantern_ for his shift with only minutes to spare. Layla got out of the car - ensuring to grab her bag this time - and let Warren out, waving goodbye to Ethan and Zach, the latter of whom simply whimpered a farewell, his face pale and his hand still wrapped around the handle tightly.

"You still coming over tonight?" Warren asked, glancing at the restaurant to see if Mrs. Woo was watching the window like she usually did. He saw the curtains move, and a small face disappear from the glass pane.

"No. I'm going back to my Great Aunt's house. I figure if I unpack everything, then she might think it's too much trouble to send me off to boarding school."

"Well, if it doesn't work, let me know. We'll work something out," Warren said, grinning.

She nodded, grinning slightly in return. Layla frowned when she saw Mrs. Woo at the window. "I think you'd better get inside. Mrs. Woo looks about ready to break the glass," she murmured. "I'll text you when I get to the house."

"Make sure you do," he replied, squeezing her hand gently and heading into the restaurant quickly.

Mrs. Woo's face disappeared, and Layla had no doubt that the small woman had gone to the kitchen to interrogate Warren. Shaking her head briefly, she headed down the road to the bus stop.

Staying on the opposite side of the road to the old house, so she couldn't tempt herself to stand in front of it for hours, rebuilding and renovating the structure in her head, Layla simply glanced at it as she passed. As she sat at the bus stop, the Stronghold Real Estate advertised on the seat she was resting on, Layla wondered how much the house cost, but already knew that she couldn't ring Mrs. Stronghold and simply _ask_.

Mrs. Stronghold was a very inquisitive and sharp-minded woman, who had probably noticed that Layla's absence from the Stronghold residence had nothing to with distance. She doubted that Will had told his mother that they'd broken up, simply for the same reason; Josie would immediately ask why, and Will had never been able to tell a lie convincingly. Avoiding confrontation unless others were around, pretending to have powers for years, all it involved was a small amount of acting. Doing _that_ was easy, especially where his father was concerned, and his mother could be distracted if he acted childishly and she could coddle him as she'd done when he was younger. But the great and powerful Will Stronghold couldn't look his mother in the eye and tell her that he'd cheated on Layla with Magenta. _That might result in his Xbox being taken away from him, after all_...

Realising that the blades of grass around the bus stop had started to turn into sharp thin needles, Layla hurried to calm herself down, counting as high as she could in her head until the bus arrived ten minutes later.

Mrs. Stronghold might have been a very smart woman, but Mr. Stronghold... _Well, he wasn't the smartest man on the planet, not by far_.

...

"What was that call about, Steve?" Josie asked, frowning at her husband briefly.

He knew she didn't like it when he took calls before dinner. They were meant to be the best family the world had ever seen, and how could they be that if he was always on the phone? (Of course, the rule didn't apply to her if _her_ phone rang before dinner. She could multitask; Steve _definitely_ couldn't.)

"Someone asking for the price of the old house on Sycamore Street," he replied, frowning as he patted his pockets, trying to find his glasses.

The Mayor was arriving with his wife soon, and he had to protect _some_ aspect of his secret identity, even if the Mayor knew where he lived.

"That old thing? I thought we'd taken that off the listing years ago?"

"Apparently one of the signs is still at the front. Must've been an old one if they had my number," he added, now searching the table for his elusive glasses.

"Maybe I should take the sign down," Josie murmured, turning to stir the pot on the stove. "Did they sound very interested?"

"In what?"

"The house."

"I've told you already, it's as clean as it's going to get," Steve muttered distractedly, still unable to find his glasses.

"Steve, I'm talking about the phone call! Did the person sound interested about the house on Sycamore? Do you think they'll buy it?"

"Oh. They sounded curious enough, I suppose. Didn't say much after I told them the price... It was $210, wasn't it?"

"No, that price was years ago. The market's gone up since then. Dear Lord, Steve, are you _trying_ to make us lose the Realtor Sales Award?" Josie asked, sighing.

Turning to see her husband upturning everything she'd just cleaned, Josie glared briefly, and stalked over to him. Steve quickly replaced the placemat, trying not to look guilty, and failing miserably under his wife's glare. Josie reached up and took his glasses off his head, holding them out to him, her lips pursed and her eyebrow raised.

"Ah, thank you, dear," he said, kissing her gently.

"Oh, gross. Could you not do that in the kitchen?" Will groaned, banging his head on the doorframe.

He pulled away sharply when the doorframe creaked in protest, his eyes widening when he saw the dent in the wood.

"I hope you're going upstairs to get changed, Will," Josie said sternly, glancing at the dent with a frown before heading back over to the stove.

He flew upstairs (literally, Josie was fairly sure) before he could get into trouble.

"So, who was the person that rang? Can you ring them back to give them a modified price on the house on Sycamore?" Josie asked, stirring the stew and adjusting the temperature on the stove.

"I didn't exactly get a phone number," Steve admitted hesitantly. "Or their name. It was some foreign name that I couldn't pronounce," he added quickly when Josie just stared at him.

"We've gone over this, Steve! If you can't say the client's name, you give the phone to _me_," she said, sighing heavily.

"I know, dear. The person just seemed very insistent about getting a price at that moment, and you were busy cooking," he said in his defence.

"Well, check your phone for the last received number, and I'll return the call with the appropriate price."

Steve hurried to do so, his grateful feeling fading when he saw that the person had a silent number. Watching as his face fell, Josie sighed, taking the phone from him, her jaw tight when she discovered the same thing.

"I hope you realise that you've just lost us a sale of more than $200,000, Steve."

The doorbell rang, stopping any response he might have made. Josie glared at him as she passed, smiling brightly by the time she opened the front door to welcome the Mayor and his wife.

...

Layla placed the final ornament on the small shelf above her computer, looking around the room. Her suitcase had been unpacked and clothes put away in the wardrobe; books shelved on the bookcase she'd brought from her mother's house; her plants had been removed from the kitchen and placed in the appropriate areas around the room, and; the last of her ornaments and knick-knacks were on display.

It didn't make the room feel more like her own in the slightest, but if she could pretend that it did, then maybe her Great Aunt would have second thoughts about sending her to boarding school. Not that Layla would go even if she did try to send her there. She'd rather live on the streets than attend an awful school that churned out carbon copies of what **they** believed to be suitable heroes. Shuddering at the thought, Layla headed down to the kitchen to make something for dinner.

As she ate her pasta and vegetables, Layla thought over the phone conversation she'd had earlier with Mr. Stronghold about the house on Sycamore. The price was more than she'd expected, and he'd sounded hesitant about it, stating that he'd have to double-check with his wife, who knew more about the house than he did. Over the years of seeing their alter egos at work, Layla knew that that was code for the fact that he didn't remember the finer details of the house, including it's price, and even if he did remember later, he couldn't pronounce her name to call her back. A foreign accent, her voice muffled to sound deeper, and Steve was tripping over himself to get off the phone as fast as superhumanly possible.

Sighing to herself, Layla knew that she shouldn't have done this to herself. There was no way her inheritance covered the amount of money needed to buy the house, and even if she worked at the Mayor's office every day until she could get her inheritance, she still wouldn't earn enough money to make up the difference. The bank wouldn't give her a loan while she was still a teenager, and there was no way she was going to ask her Great Aunt for money.

Thinking that her phone was vibrating in her pocket, Layla went to pull it out. She frowned slightly when her fingers wrapped around a piece of paper rather than her phone, and realised that her phone was sitting beside her plate anyway. Taking out the piece of paper, Layla smiled when she saw that it was a fortune. By the yellowing of the paper, it was obvious that it was one from months ago, yet it had somehow survived the washing machine. Her smile faded as she realised that the numbers on the back were the same five that had been on her past two fortunes.

_You are only as old as you feel inside. Those who feel old will appear old to those around them, and those who feel young will never age_.

Layla carefully placed the fortune beside her phone, an idea starting to form in her mind.

...

End of the eleventh chapter.

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

**Summary:** The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined. These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.

_The Heavens and Earth rose out of Chaos_.  
>John Milton - A Paradise Lost<p>

_Read on, oh faithful ones_.

...

Chapter Twelve

...

Warren couldn't stop glaring. Zach and Ethan were talking to him, trying to goad him into a conversation about Save the Citizen that afternoon (Zach was bragging that he'd blind them and Ethan would melt so Layla's vines couldn't wrap around him). He ignored them easily enough, his gaze focused on Layla across the cafeteria. She was laughing at something one of the guys was saying to her, and Warren came close to melting his fork.

"She's laughing with them, but she's thinking about you, you know," a voice muttered, a tray dropping beside him.

Donny sat next to Warren, ignoring the suspicious and surprised looks all three gave him.

"Yes, I can read your mind; no, I'm not going to pick a number; and, yes, I am telling the truth," he said, pointing his fork at Ethan, Zach and Warren respectively. "Layla's very good at threatening someone, you know," he remarked casually, glancing over at the redhead across the cafeteria. "The only reason I'm here is because she's threatened to turn me into a big ball of bat shit crazy emotions if I don't tell you the following things," Donny said, waving over at Layla with a sarcastic expression.

"What things?" Ethan asked curiously.

"First, hot head, stop staring at her and eat something. Secondly, she means it, or she won't tell you anything else," Donny said, looking at Warren's full tray for a moment.

Warren didn't do anything for a long moment, but finally, he looked away from Layla, stabbing at his pasta aggressively, shoving a few spirals into his mouth.

"Chew, and don't choke... _Oh, god_. I'm not his fucking wet nurse," Donny hissed.

"Hey, don't talk about Layla's thoughts like that," Zach said, glaring at him since Warren seemed preoccupied with his mouthful.

He nodded his agreement quickly, his empty fist flaming.

"Just a touch temperamental there, aren't you?" Donny muttered. "Anyway, third and final thing. She says that she's worked out how to play the numbers. I'm not getting anything more specific than that, she's making sure I don't. You're supposed to know what she means, so don't give me that look."

Warren swallowed his food, glancing over to Layla briefly. He finally realised just who she was sitting with, and purposely kept his thoughts vague when Donny looked at him intently.

"I'll tell her you were a good messenger boy, Donny. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll let you get in a punch or two during Save the Citizen."

Donny blanched slightly at the thought of going against them again. "I'm not doing this again, got it? I don't care what threats either of you make," he muttered, leaving the table without waiting for an answer.

"So, uh, what's going on, dude?" Zach asked quietly, looking over his shoulder to see Layla.

"Can't tell you," Warren said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Ethan asked, frowning at him.

"Because I can't talk with my mouth full," he replied with a slow grin, taking a mouthful and chewing.

Silence washed over the cafeteria, people turning their heads to look at the newest gossip fodder. Warren could really care less about gossip, but the last time they'd all gone this silent, it had been revealed that Will had cheated on Layla. Looking over in the same direction, he was more than shocked to see Will and Magenta making out at their table. Disgusted at the fact their tongues were down each other's throats while other people were _attempting_ to eat, Warren looked away immediately.

Across from him, Zach started to glow. Having no desire to be blinded when he still had half a plate of pasta to get through, Warren kicked his shin hard.

"Ow, dude! What the hell was that for?" Zach cried out.

At his sudden noise, the cafeteria seemed to return to normal, chatter and whispers flooding the room once more. Ignoring Zach's question, Warren looked over to where Layla was sitting. She was slightly pale, but seemed all right otherwise. Smiling at something someone said, Layla tore her attention away from the spectacle that Will and Magenta had become, and forced herself to rejoin the conversation.

"So, are you going to tell us what Donny meant about Layla's comment?" Ethan asked, looking at him.

"Don't count on it," Warren replied, taking another mouthful with a grin.

For the next fifteen minutes of lunch, he made sure to keep his mouth full of food or water in order to avoid their questions. The bell rang, forcing Zach and Ethan to leave the cafeteria to get to their next class on time. Zach kept his gaze firmly ahead and didn't look back, not even when Magenta called out to him. Staying at the table a moment longer, Warren made sure that Layla was all right with her new friends, one of whom was the Carbon Copy kid.

...

"All right, Williams and Peace, heroes or villains?" Boomer asked, his pen poised above his clipboard.

"Villains," Layla said, trying not to make her grin seem _too_ evil.

"Good, something different," Boomer muttered, nodding in appreciation. "All right, who are you going up against this time?"

"Zach and Ethan," Warren said, pointing them out.

There was a small amount of cheering from the stands as Ethan and Zach stood up. Grinning, Zach raised his hands, indicating for more noise as they made their way to the arena. Ethan gave his phone to the sidekick girl who could turn into a ball, previously having arranged for her to record the fight between them.

"Hurry it up, sidekicks!" Boomer called.

They hurried down to the arena, clipping on their protective gear. Zach frowned, muttering as he tried to tighten the straps in vain. Ethan quickly helped him before Boomer could sonic them.

"You know the rules; both teams have a minute to discuss your strategies. When the buzzer sounds, you start," Boomer said, adjusting his cap.

_Two sidekicks against two heroes. This fight was going to be over in seconds_, he thought to himself, shaking his head.

"Zach's been bragging how he's going to blind us with his power, and Ethan's going to melt so you can't capture him," Warren said to Layla, glancing over at their opponents briefly.

"How water-like do you think Ethan is when melted?" she asked with a grin.

"Not sure, but I can find out," he replied, grinning too. "You can handle the glow stick?"

"Should be able to," Layla said, sounding uncertain.

Neither one knew exactly how Zach's powers had changed, and he was an unknown threat. It was possible that he could blind both Warren and Layla before they could do a thing against them.

"I'll deal with Ethan quickly, so if you can't deal with him, then we can work on Zach together," Warren said.

Layla nodded in response just as the buzzer rang. Ethan immediately melted, making his way to the citizen in the middle of the gym. Avoiding Zach, Warren made his way to the citizen as well.

Staying where he was, Zach clapped his hands with a grin, spreading his arms on either side of his body, an imitation of his stance in Power Placement. This time, the glow that came from his body was actually noticeable, and began to brighten. Layla threw out a burst of power that had a tree growing in front of him, the low hanging leaves blocking Zach entirely. Between the gaps of the leaves, she could see a bright flash of light. Slowly, the light faded, and Layla let the tree return to the floor boards. Zach was standing there, the glow gone completely and the students around them watching intently. Then he grinned at her, making Layla realise she'd made the mistake of underestimating him. Before she could make anything grow in front of him or even raise her arm to shield her eyes, Zach lit up in a burst of bright light similar to a camera flash, blinding her momentarily. She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes to help her vision return to normal.

Warren, who had created a ring of fire around Ethan's melted form, saw the flash from the corner of his eye, and turned his attention to where Layla was standing with her eyes covered. Ethan hurried to reform in the circle of flames, jumping through them to land on Warren's back. He melted a bit, making sure he stuck to Warren so he couldn't be dislodged easily.

"What the hell?" Warren muttered, trying to hit him off.

"Go, Zach!" Ethan called.

Zach grinned, running over to the citizen. He had no way of getting the citizen off the rope while it was still so high up, and glanced over his shoulder anxiously to see if Layla was still incapacitated by his light. She was still standing there, her hands pressed to her eyes.

Ethan held on as tight as he could, even as he felt Warren's body heating up beneath him. While he wasn't pure water molecules when melted, Ethan was still susceptible to extreme heat. The same applied when he was half-melted the way he was at the moment, and his hands and body began to burn.

"Zach, attack!" he called out, dropping off Warren's back when the older boy went up in flames.

Hearing his friend's cry, Zach turned, his body starting to glow immediately. He didn't have a chance to flash brightly, as a vine encircled his ankle, pulling him to the ground sharply. Behind him, Layla was still standing with her hands covering her eyes, a vine travelling down her body. While she was still trying to get her vision back, she'd made a vine grow, sending it along the arena floor to find Zach. It didn't have eyes, of course, but this particular plant had feeler-like hairs, allowing it to recognise the difference between a lamp post and a human. The vine sprouted large leaves, covering Zach from head to toe before he could brighten and blind Warren.

There was a loud crunching sound behind Warren, and he turned to see the citizen being devoured by the metal teeth, her cries for help stopping as her voice box was destroyed. Ignoring the loud cheers that erupted, Warren headed to where Layla was standing, slowly lowering her hands from her eyes and blinking slowly.

"You all right, hippie?" he asked, ready to burn a hole in Zach if she was harmed in any way.

"A bit better now. It took too long to get over that flash of light," Layla replied with a frown. "I think he's given me a headache."

"Make way, make way," Nurse Spex muttered, trying to get through the crowd.

She was holding two small jars, more resting in her pockets. Half were to treat burns while the other half were filled with an antiseptic to treat any scrapes the opposing team might get from Layla's sharp plants. Ethan had suffered burns to his chest, arms and hands, while Zach had a circle of welts around his ankles. Her eyes widened comically as she held the small jars, trying to read the tiny labels. Nurse Spex handed them a jar each, instructing them to put the salves on straight away and then rest on the bleachers for the rest of the lesson. When she turned to return to the teacher's area, Zach and Ethan swapped jars.

"Who do you want to go against now?" Warren asked, glancing at the crowd around them.

"Craig, the Carbon Copy kid, and you can choose someone else," Layla said quietly.

"Why him?" Warren muttered.

"Because I made a deal with him; if I can defeat him at Save the Citizen, he'll play the fortune numbers in lotto for us."

He didn't seem appeased at her answer, but nodded reluctantly. Layla really thought those numbers were special, and after the numerous fortunes they'd received with those same numbers, Warren was beginning to agree.

"Come on, you two. Who are you choosing now?" Boomer called.

"We choose Craig," Layla called, indicating to him.

"And that kid next to him," Warren added, indicating the dark skinned boy with bad hair.

"He's got super acid spit," Layla muttered quietly, trying to think of something that could work against him.

"Heroes or villains?" Boomer asked, attaching the new citizen to the rope.

"Heroes," Warren answered.

In a matter of moments, the citizen was hanging precariously above the metal teeth, and Craig stood on the opposite side of the arena with his friend, Adam.

"Okay, your minute starts... Now!"

"Should I take acid kid or carbon copy?"

"I doubt your fire will be able to eradicate the acid. I've got some thick plants that might be able to handle it," Layla muttered, glancing over at the pair.

"All right... This Craig character, can he mimic powers or just make himself look like other people?"

"From what I heard at lunch, he can gains the person's powers as well, but not for long."

"Right. We'll need something to recognise each other," he murmured, glancing at her briefly.

Nodding in return, she turned around, Warren following her action a moment later. "It'll hurt, but I can stab your wrist, and you can burn mine," Layla said, putting her hand out.

"See, now I was thinking we could just use a strip of material."

"You want me to rip my shirt up over Save the Citizen? I don't think so."

"Fine then, give me your hand," he sighed, a flame appearing on his open palm.

Layla took his hand, and the flame slowly travelled up their hands until it was completely wrapped around her wrist. She bit her tongue, squeezing her eyes shut as the flame began to burn, a perfect line wrapping around her wrist. In return, Layla made a vine appear, gently coiled in her palm. As with the flame, it crept it's way up until it was wrapped around Warren's wrist. All at once, the sharp thorns stabbed into his skin, a perfect circle of holes. Warren clenched his jaw tightly so he wouldn't cry out in pain.

The buzzer sounded, and they let go of each other's hand, the flame disappearing and the vine fading, the thorns dropping onto the floor boards harmlessly, sinking into the wood grain.

"Ready?" she asked, grinning slightly.

"Didn't you know? I was born ready," he replied with a grin of his own.

Together, they ran forward, Layla's vines spiralling out towards Adam, and Warren shooting a ball of fire at Craig. Both missed their targets, but it made their opponents move. Adam was attempting to spit acid at the citizen, trying to make it fall. Craig was powering up, turning into a version of Larry's rock form. Warren's second fireball hit him, and he howled in pain as the fire scorched him. It seemed that Larry could still feel pain, which Layla thought he should have known, considering the injuries Larry had received from Will. Conjuring a large leaf, she held it in front of Adam, but a moment later, his acidic spit corroded the leaf entirely. Trying to remember everything about corrosive acids she'd learnt in Mad Science, Layla started creating an entire forest designed to distract Adam. At first, the trees were quickly eaten away by the acid, but as the minutes passed, the acid took longer and longer to work.

"Quick, I've got him trapped. This way!" Warren said from between the trees.

Glancing down briefly, Layla saw that his wrists were free of any wounds. In moments, the fake Warren was bound to a tree. Smoke began to rise from behind the bindings, and with the close proximity of the trees, a fire soon began to rage. Craig quickly changed into a copy of Ethan, melting and moving away as fast as his liquified form allowed. Looking at the clock, Layla hurried to shoot out a vine, criss-crossing them over the metal teeth so the citizen wouldn't be injured. Out the corner of her eye, she saw a copy of herself running into the burning trees, calling for Warren to help her.

"Don't listen to him!" Layla called out. "It's Craig pretending to me!"

"That's what Craig _would_ say! Please, help!" her voice called out.

From the edge of the forest, the smoke and fire lessened, disappearing completely as Warren stepped out from the tree line, black smudges on his face.

"How'd you know it wasn't me?" she asked as he threw a fireball at the rope holding the citizen.

The citizen continued to cry out for help, even as it dropped towards the vines. It bounced off the vines harmlessly, and Warren caught the mannequin before it smacked into his face.

"If it really was you, then I'd expect you to escape that on your own. You were surrounded by trees, after all, and you know how to deal with a simple fire."

"We should probably put that out before ..."

Above them, the fire alarm started ringing, the sprinkler system starting and drenching the already-screaming students with water.

"Before that?" Warren asked with a grin.

Ignoring the alarm, they turned to the flaming forest, working to remove the trees and fire quickly. In moments, the fire alarm stopped sounding, the fire and smoke completely gone. Behind them the buzzer sounded, and Warren threw the citizen to the ground.

Craig was lying in the middle of what had been the forest, while Adam had been stuck further back, unable to corrode the trees and get out of the haze of smoke. Neither one was burned too badly, only suffering a few singed hairs and smoke inhalation. Nurse Spex took them to her office to give them oxygen. Moments after Boomer had declared Layla and Warren as the winners the final bell rang, indicating that school was over for the day.

Grinning at Layla, Warren's expression faded when he realised just how good she looked when drenched. One drop flowed down her neck, towards her very wet and clinging shirt and shorts. _Dear god, her gym shirt really __**was**__ see-through, even more so when wet_. Despite the protective gear she was wearing, he could still see enough to make him move in front of her so no one else would notice. His fists started to flame when he saw goosebumps trailing across her skin. Layla thanked him quietly, hurrying to the girl's change rooms.

The doors opened, and Warren turned to watch as everyone filed out of the gymnasium, shaking drops of water off their clothes and bodies. He saw a few people talking to Ethan excitedly. The small boy seemed surprised, but beside him, Zach was nodding at whatever they were saying. _One game of Save the Citizen and they're already trying to get groupies_. Shaking his head, Warren went to change clothes, and returned to the arena to wait for Layla.

"Ready to go, Warren?" Layla asked, pulling her wet hair back into a ponytail as she came out of the change rooms. She winced slightly as the burn around her wrist made the action painful.

"Let me see that," he muttered, taking her wrist carefully. His own wrist was hurting as well, the thorn-made holes turning into a welt of circles and drying blood.

"It's fine. Really," she insisted, moving her wrist out of his grasp. "Let me see yours."

Warren shook his head. "If you refuse to let me heal you, then I'm not letting you heal me."

"Stubborn," Layla muttered. "It's not a bad burn, and I've got salve at home."

"You really your Great Aunt to see you with a burn mark around your wrist?" Warren countered as they left the gym and made their way to the bus.

"Do you want your mother to see you with vine marks around yours?" she retorted.

"Fine by me, hippie... Hey, when do you start your job anyway?" he asked with a brief frown.

"Next Monday. Apparently, the Mayor has a big professional development thing this week and everyone's attending, so I can't be left alone, or trained while they're not there," Layla muttered.

"Fair enough. Who knows, you could steal everyone's staplers, or draw moustaches on all of the Mayor's posters and photographs," Warren said, his serious tone contradicted by the grin on his lips.

"Of course, that's the epitome of being evil," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"It would be, according to the Mayor," he said, still grinning. He let her get on the bus first, and they made their way to the usual seat at the back.

"If I was going to be _that_, I'd at least make it for something more worthy than a few handlebar moustaches drawn on the Mayor's photos," Layla muttered.

"Oh, yeah? What did you have in mind then?" he asked, no hint of a grin this time.

They were both aware of how they were treading a very thin and careful line between light-hearted fun and deadly serious. The kind of serious that could get them a cell between Royal Pain and his father, or killed.

Layla glanced at Warren as they sat down, keeping her expression neutral as the bus began its journey.

"Nothing less than world domination, of course. Then you can draw on all of the ex-Mayor's photographs and posters without retribution."

_World domination? That was asking for a lot_... But there was a feeling growing in Warren that if anyone could achieve that goal, it would be Layla.

"Town by town, I hope? I'm sure there are a lot of Mayors out there with cheesy photographs that need to be graffitied."

"Of course, is there any other way? We'll need to purchase a lot of permanent markers. Maybe Ethan and Zach know where to buy some."

_Oh, god, they were __**actually**__ going to discuss this? And really, she wanted to recruit Ethan and Zach first_? Warren wondered if it was a good or bad thing that he could see why she'd want to. The former was nothing short of brilliant, despite his less than heroic power, and the latter's power was beginning to grow into something that might become deadly one day.

The bus launched off the side of the school, dropping for a terrifying moment to the screams of the students around them. Warren immediately turned to Layla, his lips at her ear to continue their conversation in private. She copied the motion, waiting for him to talk. He took a moment before he did, squashing the feeling of being nothing more than his father's son. He knew that he wasn't; his father would have never had a partner, would never had discussed a thing, would never had done a thing that involved a plan other than '_destroy everything in sight_'. Warren was not his father, no matter what this conversation implied.

"Donny would be able to read them to find out where to get permanent markers, or Craig could turn into them to know what they're thinking," he suggested, since they'd both proven that they were open to blackmail and bribery.

"I don't think Craig's power works like that, but it's a good idea," Layla agreed with a nod. "What do you think of Adam and Larry?"

"Adam might know where to buy some. But Larry seems as though he'd take one whiff and pass out."

"True; he is prone to injury, despite his power," Layla said in disappointment. "What about Ritchie?"

"Not sure about him yet. There can't be that many permanent markers around, can there?"

"It's highly possible. I've heard that a lot of permanent markers just took to hiding after Homecoming last year," she replied.

"Who'd you hear that from? I didn't think many markers advertised that sort of thing," Warren muttered.

"Gossip, of course. I know of one or two who might be swayed from a plain marker to permanent," Layla said.

With that, she turned to face the front once more. He quickly followed suit, and moments later, the bus landed bumpily on the closed freeway, both gripping the bar in front of them tightly.

"Are you working tonight?" Layla asked pleasantly, smiling briefly.

"Not tonight; the restaurant's closed on Monday's," Warren replied, trying to gather his composure to shed the evil feeling they'd created with their conversation.

"Would you like to come over to study? I've almost finished my essay, but I wanted to ask you to read it over, in case it's really bad and I fail. My Great Aunt's still in hospital, and I could really use the company," she added.

He nodded, grateful for the offer. _Maybe he'd have enough time to make his emotions a bit more pleasant, more vanilla-hero, before having to go home to his mother. She'd pick him apart if she knew what he was feeling right now_.

Beside him, Layla simply smiled gently, as if she knew what he was thinking, as if they hadn't just had a whole conversation about recruiting people to help dominate the world in the guise of buying permanent markers. She took his hand in her own, still keeping her gaze forward, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

_Well_, Warren thought to himself, _**that**__ was definitely one way to calm and change his emotions. Not that he'd want his mother knowing __**these**__ emotions and thoughts either_, his fingers threading between Layla's.

...

End of the twelfth chapter.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_The Heavens and Earth rose out of Chaos_.  
>John Milton - A Paradise Lost<p>

_Read on, oh faithful ones_.

...

Chapter Thirteen

...

"When's your Great Aunt meant to be getting out of hospital?" Warren asked Layla as they made their way up the street.

"Tomorrow afternoon. Mrs. Olgestein's offered to pick her up and look after her here until I get home from school," Layla replied. "There's no poison left in her system, but it made her body weak, and the doctor wanted to keep her in for observation."

"Has she been lucid enough to talk about the boarding school?"

"Not really; she's been kept fairly drugged up. I'm just hoping she'll forget about it entirely," Layla muttered.

"What if she doesn't?" Warren asked, waiting as Layla opened the front door.

"Then I'll think of something else. I refuse to go to a boarding school, no matter if she's my legal guardian or not."

"Well, if you need, I've still got that lumpy and uncomfortable lounge on offer," he said with a grin, following her into the house and closing the door behind him.

"I'd prefer your bed," Layla replied, stopping short when she realised the innuendo. "Sorry, I meant... It's just that... I mean... After Will and Magenta today... I didn't..."

"Hey, calm down, hippie. I know what you meant," he said soothingly. "And really, after their display at lunch, I'm surprised you were able to sit beside me on the bus," Warren said, chuckling briefly.

"Oh yeah, that took a lot of willpower," she said drily.

"Good to know," he replied, raising his eyebrow slightly. His gaze travelled down her body, landing on the burn mark that was still around her wrist. "Will you let me heal that now?"

"Only if you'll let me heal yours."

Warren didn't bother bringing up the fact that he was only refusing because she'd refused in the first place, and nodded in reply.

"Leave a scar, would you? That way we'll always know and won't have to go through it again," he muttered.

"That's what I was trying to do with mine," Layla agreed, her fingers touching his wrist gently. "I can't make this scar though; it's not deep enough to cause any permanent damage to your skin," she said with a slight frown.

"Let me check yours," Warren said, taking her offered wrist carefully.

A small pulse of power told him that the burn was only a layer deep. It would have to go much further to mark her indefinitely.

"This one's not enough either," he said, shaking his head.

Layla looked up at him for a moment, silently asking if he would burn and mark her. Warren looked away from her pleading gaze, glancing at the small holes around his wrist.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I won't be able to reverse it. You'll always have the scarred skin, and believe me, it won't be the prettiest thing to look at," he said, looking back at her.

"I don't care about it being pretty, Warren. I want this; I want you to do this to me," Layla said firmly.

"_Why_?"

"Because the world isn't fair. It isn't pretty; it's an ugly place that causes people pain, and I don't want to ever forget that."

He couldn't tell her that she was being irrational, or that she was still too emotional over her mother's death. She was right - _the world wasn't a fair or pretty place_ - but Warren still didn't think that this was the best reminder for it.

"Please, Warren. I know it will hurt, but I don't care. I want to have the scar to match what I feel inside. Trust me, the feeling will never fade, and neither will the scar. _Please_," Layla begged.

He didn't reply for another three minutes, time simply ticking by as he thought of exactly how bad this would be. Then he began to think how good it could be. It was more than twisted, even Warren knew that, but he would always know that he was talking to Layla, no matter who attempted to turn into her, and she would be marked by him; _forever marked as his_, some primeval and territorial part of his brain thought. _And he'd be marked by her, forever hers_, the thought giving him more pleasure than he imagined it would.

"We'll do it at the same time. I don't want to hurt you so bad that you can't retaliate," he said with a heavy sigh.

Layla agreed, nodding sombrely and holding out her wrist.

"Do we really have to do it in the foyer, hippie? We're right by the front door," Warren muttered.

"We can do it upstairs in the bedroom. I'll make sure vines block out the noise," she added, leading him up the staircase.

_He was not turned on by her words, he was not turned on by her words. Oh, god. He was so definitely turned on by her words_. Warren briefly wondered when it was that he'd stopped caring that she turned him on.

Layla closed the door behind him, and in moments, they were plunged into relative darkness, the vines covering the windowpane. For an added measure, she also closed the blinds. Layla held her left wrist out, patiently waiting for Warren to take it before holding his offered left wrist as well.

"Ready?" she asked quietly.

Warren nodded in response. A spike-covered vine trailed its way down her arm and wrapped around his wrist gently. His fist lit up in flames, the fire moving across their clasped hands to wrap around Layla's wrist harmlessly.

"One... Two... Three," they counted together slowly.

All at once, her wrist started to burn like it had never done before. His wrist was pierced by what felt like hundreds of thorns and tiny spikes. The fire blistered her skin, the flames making their way deeper through each layer. The spikes tore through layers of skin, piercing bloody holes into his wrist. They were both screaming in pain, had fallen to their knees as the pain overwhelmed them, and still it continued. The fire didn't seem inclined to stop, burning deeper and deeper until Layla was sure it had reached her bone itself. The thorns and spikes grew longer and sharper, and Warren could have sworn that they pierced through his bone. Her arm began to burn, the very skeletal bone on fire. His arm started to go limp, his skeleton weakened from the holes that had pierced it.

Slowly, their power began to fade from each other. The burning sensation in her arm began to lessen, and the strength in his began to return to normal. It was over in what felt like seconds, but could have been hours. Layla realised that she'd stopped screaming, and Warren blinked, his throat feeling scratchy.

"Are you okay?" he rasped, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah, you?" she asked, her voice not sounding much better.

Warren managed to nod in return, and they slowly let go of each other's wrist to see what they'd done. Rather than the scarred and burnt skin she'd expected, Layla had a perfect line of red flames wrapping around her wrist. Warren had been expecting hundreds of holes or something that would require bandaging, but around his wrist was a perfect circle of vines, thorns decorating the green line. There was no blood on either one, and as they flexed their wrists gently, they both realised that there was no pain either. It was as if they'd simply tattooed one another with their powers.

...

Layla stood up first, leaving to get water for them both. Warren sank back on his haunches, looking at the neat vine tattooed around his wrist again. His cuff would cover it easily, and only they would know it was there. Layla returned a moment later with two large glasses of water, they drank slowly, keeping their eyes on each other.

"So, do you really think Craig's going to follow through on playing those lotto numbers?" Warren asked, standing as his legs began to cramp.

"I'll make sure he doesn't back out. I'm giving him my money and going along as his daughter so he can pretend to be forgetful and I can tell him the numbers at the last minute. I'm not giving him those numbers and having him win."

"Two things, hippie. First, don't get your hopes up on this; it isn't guaranteed that you'll actually win anything. Second, you realise that I probably could have played the numbers if I just didn't shave for a couple of days?"

"You shave?"

"Since freshman year," he replied with a nod.

"Two whole years, you must be so proud," Layla dead panned.

Warren just raised an eyebrow at her, finishing the last of his water and setting the glass down on the desk.

"I mean it, hippie. Don't set yourself up for disappointment with this. You might not win a thing."

"You mean that we might not win a thing," she replied.

"What?" Warren asked in confusion; he didn't remember anything about wasting _his_ hard-earned money being part of the plan.

"I'm not going to set myself up for disappointment. I'm just going to get Craig to play it this one time, and then we're waiting for our 18th birthdays. You put in a ticket on your birthday, and I'll put one in on mine. If we don't win anything on any three tries, then I won't bring it up again," Layla said seriously.

Warren frowned slightly, waiting for the catch.

"Deal?" she asked, holding her hand out.

"That's it? Three tries and you'll forget about it?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes..."

Warren held her hand, shaking it, and as she grinned at him, he had a feeling of being played.

"However, if we win anything on any of them, then it's a different matter," Layla said, grinning. "Then, we play every single birthday until gambling is outlawed," she added, shaking his hand in return.

"God damn it, Layla. Do you know how much revenue gambling brings in every year? It's _never_ going to be outlawed," Warren groaned.

She grinned at his expression, her eyes alight with laughter. Muttering to himself, he moved to sit on the chair.

"Didn't you say you had an essay you wanted me to read over?" he asked reluctantly, trying not to think about what he'd just agreed to.

Nodding, Layla rummaged in her bag to find her notebook. Taking the offered book from her, Warren flipped through the pages to find her essay.

"Is this the hero worship one?" he asked, stopping at a page near the middle. "Never mind," he added, seeing the words _I love heroes_ written at the top.

Layla reached over him to turn her computer on. Ethan had promised to email her the videos of her and Warren's Save the Citizen games when he got home, and he was always punctual.

"What're you doing?" Warren asked, distracted by the sweet honeysuckle and earthy vine smell of her body being so close to his.

He refused to look up from the essay, sure that he'd back her against the closest surface to see if she tasted as good as she smelled.

"Ethan's sending me the videos of our Save the Citizen fights; I thought we could watch them together and take notes for next time," Layla said with a grin, unaware of the path his thoughts were leading him down.

"Are you going to get another chair then?" he asked, still not looking up.

"Nah, we can just sit on the bed. The screen's big enough," Layla said with a shrug.

Now Warren did look up. He looked at her, trying to see if she was serious or not. Realising that she was serious, he turned his attention back to the notebook, trying to think of everything _other_ than making out with her. His hands were close to flaming out of control.

"Do you want to get comfortable while I get the videos ready?" she offered.

Nodding briefly, he stood up off the chair, moving past her carefully so they wouldn't touch, and sat on the edge of her mattress precariously. Layla quickly opened her browser, downloaded the videos from Ethan, and set them up to play. When she was sure the volume was loud enough for them to hear properly, she sat on next to Warren on her bed, moving back so she was comfortable. She frowned slightly when she saw just how straight and on edge Warren looked. It was such a contrast to how he usually sat.

"You can move back, you know," Layla said.

He shook his head slightly, keeping his eyes on the screen. Her frown lessened as she too, turned her attention to the video. As the videos continued, and they played for the second, fourth, sixth times, Warren began to relax and move onto the bed properly. Eventually, they were sitting side by side, their bodies touching as they laughed and talked over the scenes.

"He definitely got too close to you there, hippie! If he'd got any closer, he could have had a hand around your throat instantly!" Warren was saying of the fake-Warren.

"He was pretending to be you; you wouldn't have choked me," Layla countered. "Besides, I saw that he didn't have the vine mark on his wrist," she added, taking his hand, her fingers caressing his wrist.

Beneath her fingertips, the vine started to spin, growing thicker at her touch. Distracted from the video, they both watched the vine moving around his wrist. Curious, Warren reached out to touch hers, and the flames began to circle around her wrist, the fire becoming wild beneath his fingers.

"Warren?" Layla murmured, looking at him intently.

Tearing his gaze away from the spinning flames, he looked up at her, their faces only inches apart. She kissed him, her lips soft against his, her hand wrapped around his wrist as she leaned against him. He kissed her back, his mouth responding before his mind caught up. Warren pulled away moments later, his lips hot and tingling. Layla licked her lips, smiling.

"I thought you said you didn't want to? I mean, after Stronghold and Magenta today," he muttered, knowing that he'd probably regret his words.

"I know," she agreed with a sigh, sitting up properly. "You saw everyone whispering about them at lunch, and I just don't want to do that. Not only that, but I really don't want you to be a rebound or something. Does that sound stupid? And you just broke up with Freeze Girl, do you know what I mean?" Layla asked, knowing that she was probably rambling.

Warren was right: he regretted his words.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It doesn't sound stupid. You want to wait until we're both ready," he reiterated.

_He really should have just kept kissing her, never mind his conscience_.

"Yes, that's exactly right," she said with a relieved smile. "Hopefully it won't be too long," Layla muttered.

Warren chuckled, pulling her down for one more kiss before stopping again.

"So how was my essay? Enough hero worship for me to fail miserably?" Layla asked with a grin, sitting up.

"If you don't fail, I have no faith in the teachers at Sky High. You'll probably get some sort of Failure Award for that piece of work," Warren said, grinning in return.

"Did you fail?"

"Spectacularly. Wasn't too hard, considering I got an article about my father's capture. Although, it was somewhat difficult to muster up the required fanfare for the Commander. I got the assignment the same day I had that fight with Stronghold; I wasn't exactly at my peak of emotional strength at that time. I think they realised I was bullshitting when I attempted to kill Stronghold in the cafeteria," he added with a grin.

"I'm sure that didn't help," she agreed. "But really, there are a lot of second generation supers who wouldn't mind attempting the same thing. The Commander and Jetstream don't always make friends with people they meet," Layla said.

Warren scoffed in disbelief. "All right, then. Name five second-gen supers who'd take a stab at Stronghold."

"I can name eleven," she retorted. "Zach, Royal Pain, Lash, Speed, you, me, and the five Penny's."

"She only counts as one," he said immediately. "I'm not fond of you grouping us in with that lot, anyway. I doubt Zach would like it either."

"Well, they're all second generation," she said with a shrug.

"All right then, who currently enrolled at Sky High would try to hurt Stronghold, and why? Besides us and Zach," Warren added.

"Ben Armstrong, he's the boy with six arms we fought against. His father worked at the bank and was severely injured when the Commander broke in through the bank's roof to stop a robbery. He almost brought the building down, injured twelve different people, but since he caught the robbers, there was no retribution. Armstrong's father was paid out due to his spinal injury, and now does seasonal work as a tax consultant, while his mother works three jobs to pay the bills and send him to school.

"Wendy Walker manipulates the weather, and was friends with Gwen Grayson. Her mother was a very successful super until Jetstream and the Commander teamed up, and I'm sure she'd love to take a swing at the guy who reduced her pocket money from two hundred dollars a month to fifty. For someone who can manipulate the weather, she's a very shallow person," Layla commented, shaking her head briefly.

"How do you know all that about Wendy? Isn't she a senior?"

"Girls talk for a _ridiculous_ amount of time in the bathroom."

He conceded with a nod. From the screen, a loud explosion sounded, distracting them. It seemed Layla's trees ripping up the gym floor were noisier than expected.

"You'll tell me when Craig does the lotto numbers, yeah?" Warren asked as they both turned their attention back to the video.

"Yeah, I'll let you know... For the next Save the Citizen game, we should work on using our powers at the same time against both opponents, rather than one on one. We know we can defeat them individually, but what about together?"

"I think we'd be unstoppable then," Warren said with a grin, his hand resting in hers gently.

She laughed against his shoulder, squeezing his hand and looking at the screen once more.

...

"Warren? Are you okay?"

Blinking his sleep away, Warren sat up, slowly disentangling himself from Layla, who had fallen asleep against his shoulder. His ringing phone had woken him up, and he'd answered simply to make the noise stop.

"Hi Mum. I'm fine," he whispered.

"Why are you whispering? Have you been kidnapped? What do you remember about the journey?"

"I'm whispering because Layla's asleep. I haven't been kidnapped, Mum," Warren said with a sigh.

"You're with Layla? And you're afraid of waking her up _because_? Are you two having sex? You're being safe, right?"

"Mum!" he hissed, his eyes closing as he wished for some way to erase this particular conversation with his mother. "I don't want to wake her because she's sleeping and it's almost midnight. She just broke up with Stronghold, so no, we're not having sex."

"And that's the only reason?" his mother sounded amused, even through the phone.

"I'm hanging up now. I'll see you tomorrow."

"So you're staying there then?"

Warren felt the phone be taken from him, and turned quickly to see Layla there, holding her finger up to keep him silent.

"Hello, Ms. Peace? Yes, I'm sorry about keeping Warren so late; we lost track of the time... Of course, definitely. Next time, I'll make sure to get Warren to call you. Yes, thank you, good night," she said, grinning at him briefly. "Say goodnight to your mother while I set up the lounge."

Taking the phone from her, Warren was surprised to find that his mother wasn't as angry as he'd thought she would be.

"Just remember: next time, call me. If you don't, then I will call the Mayor himself to have someone find you. You live under my roof, you tell me when you're not going to be home, understood?"

"Yes, Mum. Sorry, I'll make sure to call next time. Good night," Warren said quickly, hanging up after she returned the sentiment.

Making his way to the upstairs lounge room, he grinned slightly when he saw Layla asleep on the lounge, the sheets beside her.

"Hey, hippie. Come on, get to bed. I can manage a sheet by myself," he said with a grin, rousing her and helping her to stand.

She yawned but nodded in response, kissing his cheek. "Goodnight, Warren," Layla said sleepily over her shoulder as she left, dragging her feet.

Shaking his head, Warren turned and shook out a sheet to cover the lounge. Shucking off his pants, he pulled his shirt over his head. Lying down on the lounge, he shifted a few times before deeming himself comfortable. Warren fell asleep quicker than he thought he would, his cheek still tingling from Layla's light kiss.

...

End of the thirteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_The Heavens and Earth rose out of Chaos_.  
>John Milton - A Paradise Lost<p>

_Read on, oh faithful ones_.

...

Chapter Fourteen

...

Layla entered the kitchen the next morning to find Warren standing in front of the espresso machine, looking both incredulous and ready to worship the stainless steel appliance before him.

"All right there, Warren?" she asked in amusement, reaching around him to turn the machine on for him.

"Fine."

_It seemed that even a very expensive coffee machine couldn't make Warren a morning person_, Layla thought, grinning to herself.

"Do you want anything to eat? There's bread for toast, or cereal?" she offered, reaching up to take a plate from the cabinet for her own breakfast.

Warren shook his head, keeping his gaze firmly on the coffee machine when he noticed how Layla's skirt rode up with her action. He didn't look away until it was time to leave, but she didn't seem to mind that he wasn't paying her attention. (It was so unlike Freeze Girl's constant need for attention that a few times Warren actually contemplated checking to see if Layla was still sitting there or not. A moment later, he would hear her sigh, or tap, or make some sort of noise, and he would relax, taking a sip of the coffee to help fire up his neurones.)

As the bus made its way over the hill, Layla looked at Warren, smiling briefly when she saw that he looked much more alert now. It was a wonder he managed to get to the bus on his own in the morning.

"Does your mother always assume you've been kidnapped if you don't go home or ring?" Layla asked, checking to ensure their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"Not always. Last night was the first time in about a year," he replied with a shrug. "My father kidnapped me when I was a child, and I don't think she ever really got over it."

Layla simply stared at him for a moment, shocked at the blasé tone he was using. Then she noticed his fists clenching and her stunned expression faded.

"How did you get away?"

"I blew a hole in the wall. It was mostly accidental because I was ..." - _Terrified, scared, angry, confused, worried about leaving Mum alone_. - "... emotional," he said shortly. "Either way, it worked and he never tried to do it again."

Nodding briefly at the gloss and sugar coated response, Layla slid a little closer to him, taking his hand in her own. She didn't offer any words of sympathy or pity, simply because she didn't have any, and she'd hated every fake word that had spilled from others' lips at her mother's funeral and wake. She wouldn't subject Warren to the same false words.

For the rest of the ride, Warren just looked out of the window, pretending to take an interest in the light grey clouds that were building. Both were silent, not even crying out when the bus took off. He kept her hand in his until the bus landed at Sky High (holding onto the rail with one hand was an interesting experience), and slowly disentangled their fingers.

"Hey, Warren? Thanks for telling me about that; I know it mustn't have been comfortable to relive all of those emotions and memories," Layla said when they were off the bus and alone.

He shrugged briefly. "It was a long time ago. I'm over it."

Shaking her head slightly, Layla stood on her tiptoes, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. Stepping back before either of them could deepen the kiss, Layla smiled at Warren, telling him that she'd meet him outside for lunch.

Watching as she left, Warren waited for a moment before making his way into the building. He stomped his feet a few times, telling himself sternly that he did **not** go weak in the knees over a kiss as simple and chaste as that.

...

By lunch time, the few clouds that Warren had noticed earlier that morning were completely black, a storm raging around the school as the buildings and grounds were pelted with heavy raindrops.

Of course, due to the extreme weather, there was little choice but to sit in the cafeteria to eat. Layla sat with her back to Will and Magenta, who had started making out the moment they were close enough to do so. Zach looked a little green and decided to sit beside Layla, a growl from Warren on the other side of her not even enough to change his mind. Ethan slid onto a seat opposite them, frowning slightly as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"It feels very badass to be sitting on my own like this," he commented after a moment, starting to grin.

"Yeah, you look totally badass with a ketchup stain on your shirt, Popsicle," Warren muttered.

Seeing that he was right about the stain, Ethan frowned, hurrying to clean it.

"I got the videos of Save the Citizen you sent me; thanks for those," Layla said.

"Have you watched them yet? I took some notes, and I'd be interested to go over them with you."

"Don't say that, Eth! They'll just get better and whoop our butts faster next time!" Zach said with a groan.

"You lasted the entire game. That was longer than some of the heroes," Warren pointed out.

Zach opened and closed his mouth a few times, eventually settling on a frown. "That's not the point. You shouldn't give them pointers on their game!"

"We'd reciprocate, Zach," Layla said, grinning slightly when he perked up. "You tell us things we did wrong, and we do the same for you."

He grinned cockily. "I didn't do a thing wrong; I was made of pure awesomeness."

"You took too long to light up and didn't hurt Warren, which was one of the few things that cost you the game," she replied.

His grin slipped and he muttered under his breath.

"Speaking of Save the Citizen," Ethan said, nudging the conversation along. "I've been approached by a lot of heroes and sidekicks who would like to fight against you."

"What?" Warren asked, surprised. He'd seen the sidekicks talking to Ethan and Zach after the game, but he hadn't thought it had been about this.

"Everyone's seen how you fight, and they're eager to go against you. Of course, they're also ecstatic at a chance to actually fight. One senior _hero_ hasn't even played before!"

"Why not?" Layla asked, frowning.

"Apparently, Lash and Speed only fought against sidekicks unless Boomer made them pick a hero. Even then, it was only against heroes they knew they could beat without a fuss," Zach replied.

"The idea of actually being able to participate has encouraged a lot of requests to fight against you. I've even started a schedule and begun to pair up heroes and sidekicks for you," Ethan said, quickly going into his bag to bring out a red-covered book.

He opened the first page to reveal a list of heroes and sidekicks, their powers and whether they'd fought in Save the Citizen before. Some of the heroes and sidekicks were linked by perfectly straight lines, while others seemed to be colour coded, and a third set were joined by corresponding numbers. The page was already filled, and Layla dreaded what she would see if she turned the page.

"I thought it would be better to go against people who haven't fought before, but it's up to you. Of course, it's also depends on whether you continue to win or not," Ethan added, grinning briefly.

"Can you send me a copy of that? If people are coming to you to make an appointment, you might as well keep the book," Layla said.

"You're really okay for me to do this?" Ethan asked, sounding hopeful and anxious at the same time.

"Go ahead, Popsicle. Just don't go over the top with it, understood?" Warren said with a glare.

"No, no. Of course not! Discretion is my middle name," he replied, grinning.

"Yeah, right. Have you seen your wardrobe?" Zach asked with a laugh.

"Like you're one to talk," Ethan muttered.

Offended, Zach launched into a long story about bright colours and glowing, while Ethan defended his own choice of clothing.

_They sound like an old married couple_, Layla thought to herself, shaking her head with a brief smile.

...

Walking up the road, Layla saw an unfamiliar car sitting on her Great Aunt's driveway. Guessing it to be Mrs. Olgestein's, she glanced at the two-storey house to ensure that no windows were broken, just in case. Everything seemed fine, and she continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

"Oh, hello, Layla," Frieda called from the front door as she walked up the driveway.

"Hello, Mrs. Olgestein, how are you?" she asked with a brief smile, stepping through the open door.

Frieda looked as though she'd caked on her makeup, large and obnoxious earrings sparkling on either side of her face. She looked a few years younger, but it definitely was not in a good way.

"Fine, fine," she replied distractedly, glancing outside. "Is Warren not with you today?"

"No, Warren's working tonight," Layla replied, grinning slightly when the old woman's hopeful expression fell.

"Ah, well. Let's go find your Great Aunt. She's insisted on walking around the entire house, despite the doctors telling her to rest. She must have really missed being at home, even if it was just for three nights," Frieda said, shaking her head.

Layla followed Frieda obligingly, a frown flitting on her face. It sounded like her Great Aunt didn't trust her to stay in the house for three days without stealing everything and selling it to the highest bidder...

They found her Great Aunt in the lounge room, just straightening the Van Gogh painting as if she'd taken it off the wall to check that it was the original rather than a poster.

"Don't exert yourself, Greta. I'm sure the painting was straight before you touched it," Frieda tutted. "Why don't you sit down now, and I'll go get us some drinks?" she suggested, leading Greta to an armchair. "Layla, you'll keep your Great Aunt company, won't you, dear?"

"Of course," Layla replied, sitting across from her, folding her hands in her lap demurely.

Greta waited until Frieda had left to glare at Layla. "I don't know what you did, girl, but I know you're the reason I was poisoned."

"I don't see how. I've never been to the golf course before, and I was studying with Ethan, Zach and Warren when I got the phone call about you being hospitalised," Layla said truthfully.

She kept her expression and voice calm, and didn't look away from her Great Aunt's face. Greta looked away first, her eyes roaming over the various ornaments to ensure they were all there. They both heard footsteps approaching, and Frieda appeared with a tray, three glasses resting on it.

"Here we are. A lemonade for each of you," she said, handing the glasses to them. "And a gin and tonic for me," Frieda said, settling down on the lounge beside Layla.

"How much gin did you use?" Greta asked with a half-hearted glare. She was still fairly drugged up and still couldn't manage a full glare.

"About three fingers' worth," Frieda replied, smirking. "Henry's leaving on a business trip tonight, and I want to get absolutely smashed in celebration."

"Who is Henry?" Layla asked with a brief smile.

"My husband... Thing is, we're both retired and since handing over the business to our daughter, he hasn't been needed at work in _years_. Business trip, my ass," she scoffed, taking a large gulp of her drink.

"_Oh_," Layla said a moment later, when she realised what Frieda meant. "Why are you celebrating then?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Because when he gets to the hotel he booked, he'll find that the floozy is actually an actress hired by my divorce attorney," Frieda said with a chuckle. "It voids everything in the prenup just by him going to meet with her, and when they're done in the three point five seconds it'll take him, the floozy's going to give him the divorce papers. I'm going to sue the pants off of him, although I still haven't figured out if I mean that literally or not... He owns a lot of very nice Armani suits," she mused.

"Literally, Frieda. Sue the pants off him," Greta muttered. "It's not the first time he's cheated on you," she said, her voice thick.

"Yes, yes. I know, you kept telling me I was weak to stay with him. But he's all I've ever known, and it's hard to let go of that," Frieda said.

"I'll be right back," Layla murmured quietly, leaving the room before either one could reply. She returned moments later with two boxes: one of tissues, and one of chocolates. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'm going to go study now."

"Thank you, dear," Frieda said, taking one of the larger chocolates.

Greta nodded at Layla briefly, taking a chocolate as well. "You can't back down, Frieda. He'll just keep walking over you..."

Leaving them to their discussion, Layla hurried upstairs. Despite leaving her door closed that morning, it was now wide open. Stepping inside, she saw a few things out of place immediately. One of her shirts was on the end of her bed when she'd left it in the middle, her mother's jumper was lying over the back of her chair rather than on the seat, and the jewellery box was open.

Frowning on seeing the last one, Layla closed the door behind her and went over to the small box on the dresser. She looked at the pieces of jewellery to ensure that they were all there, but soon discovered that her mother's flower brooch was missing. Her frown deepened, and she opened all of the small drawers, checking each piece more carefully this time. Taking the box, she tipped everything out onto the floor. A small tree grew, quickly sorting and separating everything onto individual branches. The brooch was still missing. Sending a vine to search the floor in case it had fallen, Layla clenched her hands tightly when it returned empty, the vine sinking down into the floorboards once more.

Wrenching her door open, she heard Frieda's sobs from downstairs, and her Great Aunt's words to try and make her angry rather than sad. Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Layla made her way downstairs. She would ask her Great Aunt very politely about the brooch, and if she said that she didn't have it, _then_ Layla would send her vine to search through the whole damned house.

Layla moved closer to the lounge room, seeing her Great Aunt sitting beside Frieda, the box of chocolates on her lap and the tissues wedged between them.

"Put the gin bottle down, Frieda. You're not going to achieve anything by intoxicating yourself to the point of hospitalisation..." Greta sighed heavily. "You should stay the night, Frieda. You're obviously in no state to drive, and I'm not allowed to drive while under the influence of these drugs..."

Something shiny glinted straight into Layla's eye, and she looked for the offending item inside the lounge room. Her jaw clenched tightly when she saw the red, green and black flower brooch pinned to her Great Aunt's shirt.

She refused to step into the room and confront her over taking the brooch, not knowing what she'd do to her Great Aunt, even with Frieda there beside her. Layla turned on her heel, making her way back upstairs. She would get her mother's brooch back, no matter what it took.

...

Frieda had composed herself in time for dinner, but her breath still smelled of gin and her eyes were still fairly red. Layla served dinner wordlessly, giving the woman a brief sympathetic smile.

"This is really nice, Layla. Did you make it yourself?" Frieda asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes. It was my mother's favourite meal. I haven't cooked it since she died," she replied quietly.

"Oh, well ... what made you want to cook it tonight?"

"I thought it would be a nice _welcome home_ meal for my Great Aunt."

"Oh, isn't that lovely, Greta?"

Her Great Aunt didn't reply, and Frieda gave Layla a look as if to say that she was silent due to the drugs that were still in her system.

"That's a lovely brooch," Layla commented as pleasantly as she could. "Where did you get it?" she asked, looking at her Great Aunt.

There was silence for a very long moment, and when it became clear that Greta wasn't going to answer, Frieda hurried to make her own observations. Internally, she wondered why her friend was glaring at Layla and refusing to answer her seemingly simple question.

"It _is_ a very unique brooch; I was commenting earlier how I've never seen it in a catalogue or store before, and how I don't think Greta has ever worn a brooch. I think this one suits her."

Of course it was unique; it was made by a stall vendor at a weekend market that had long since closed. It was the first thing Layla had bought for her mother using her own earned money. It was cheap, only fifteen dollars, but she'd saved to buy that brooch for months, begging the elderly woman to not sell it until she had the money. At six years old, Layla had been as cute as a button, pigtails braided and a green tunic over a flowing brown skirt that her mother had sewn for her. The vendor had no chance at denying her a thing, and reluctantly agreed. It had taken three weeks of chores to get the money, and then a few hours cajoling her mother to return to the market. It had all been worth it though, when she'd seen the delighted look on her mother's face on her birthday the next week. She'd worn it for months straight until the clasp became loose and she almost lost it during one particularly rough protest. Her mother had put it away, reserving it for special occasions, and Layla had lit up every time she'd seen her wearing the brooch, even six months ago for her thirty-fifth birthday.

"Graham bought this for me years ago for one of our first anniversaries. I thought about him a lot in hospital, and decided to start wearing it again," Greta said, not looking up from her meal.

"Really? It doesn't seem like Graham's style. He was always one for diamonds, more than shiny trinkets," Frieda said, looking at the brooch more closely with a frown.

Greta glared at her friend, standing abruptly. "I'm going to bed now. You know where the guest room is," she muttered, leaving before either one could say a word.

"I suppose all of those tablets they gave her made your Great Aunt grumpy as well," Frieda said, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Now, tell me, dear, what are your plans after school? College, a job? I know a lovely restaurant that could do with a good chef... The one they've got is nice enough, but he doesn't believe in salt or spices," she said, pulling a face.

"Oh, I don't think I could do that. This is one of the few dishes I know how to make, and I doubt I'd be confident in a kitchen environment..." Layla said, trailing off. She smiled quickly, and hurried to answer Frieda's actual question. "After school, I'm hoping to go to college, but it depends on the available scholarships. I'm still not sure what I want to major in, so I'm hoping to get a more concrete idea of my future when I start working at my new job."

"You have a job? Greta never mentioned anything about it."

"I found out on Friday, and didn't get a chance to tell her before everything that happened at the golf course on Saturday."

"Oh... Well, this scholarship bit is nonsense; I'm sure Greta would be all too happy to help you further your education!" Frieda said.

"I couldn't possibly ask her for that, Mrs. Olgestein. My Great Aunt worked very hard for that money, and I'm sure that she has more important things to spend it on than me," Layla replied with a tight smile. "I'll just wash up now if you're finished?" she offered, standing and waiting to take Frieda's plate.

"Yes, thank you, dear."

Frieda watched as Layla left for the kitchen, the plates and glasses balanced carefully in her hands. When she was gone, she looked to the door that Greta had left through, frowning as she recollected her friend's behaviour towards Layla. So far, she'd only seen the young girl be polite and caring, yet Greta maintained that she was the devil incarnate. Layla's smile didn't slip, she didn't glare when she thought no one was looking, and she'd been nothing but pleasant. Frieda doubted that any demons would put it upon themselves to wash dishes either. Standing, she went to help Layla clean up, hoping that Greta's behaviour really was just an effect of the medication.

...

Late the next morning, Frieda woke up with a hangover, the empty bottle of gin cradled in her arms, and no memory of how she'd got there. Sitting up with a small groan of pain, she was glad for the dark curtains hanging up. Small threads of light wove their way into the room, enough for her to see the tray sitting on the bedside table. Picking up the note lying between the glass of juice and the small vase with a yellow rose, she opened it to read the words inside, a small square falling onto her lap.

_Dear Mrs. Olgestein,_

_I hope that you aren't feeling too poorly after last night._

_I brought you some juice to help with the dehydration, and despite your request, I didn't destroy your photograph of Henry._

_While I am still young, I have had my heart broken, and I understand how it feels to lose a friend in this way. I will not degrade your feelings or marriage by making any further parallels between our relationships._

_I haven't known you for very long, but I can already tell that you are a strong person, and I am positive that you are strong enough to get through this. You may surprise yourself at your own strength as well._

_Have a pleasant day, and I hope you feel better soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Layla_.

Looking down at the small photograph of herself and Henry, Frieda clenched her jaw slightly. Folding up the note once more, she tucked the photo inside, deciding to destroy it when she had her husband's money in her account. Of course, the money wouldn't make up for his cheating or the destruction of their relationship, but it would be a nice start. _Maybe she'd take a cruise somewhere sunny_.

Drinking the juice slowly, Frieda was surprised to find that her hangover didn't feel as bad as she thought it would be, and put the note in her purse. It would be a note that she would look to whenever she felt her resolve failing. One day in the future the creases on the page would become so worn that it would fall to pieces in her hand, but when that day came, she would be strong enough to continue without needing the words in print.

For now, Frieda simply stood up, set the glass down, and rushed out to the bathroom, realising that she had been wrong. _The hangover __**was**__ as bad as she'd thought it would be_.

...

"Are you sure you kids don't want something to eat or drink?"

"No, thank you, Ms. Peace," Layla, Zach and Ethan chorused, returning their attention to their work when the woman left the dining room.

Warren refused to look up until his mother was gone. "I told you it was a bad idea to come here," he hissed.

"It's not _that_ bad, dude. Mrs. Stronghold was worse," Zach pointed out.

They all grimaced at the memory of Josie Stronghold coming into the lounge room like clockwork every thirty minutes to check on her son, make sure they were studying, offering food, and bringing in cookies in the middle of a heated discussion over who would win in a zombie versus vampires fight. (The results were still undecided as it is surprisingly difficult to argue while eating cookies, and a parent is watching and waiting for praise for their cooking.)

"Yeah, that's true. If my mother brings in cookies, I vote we leave," Warren muttered.

"I second that vote, but only if we take the cookies on the way out," Layla said, grinning.

"Was there any possibility of us leaving _without_ the food?" Zach asked, laughing.

"Where would we go then?" Ethan asked, looking at each of them in turn.

"My Great Aunt's. She hasn't hosted a study group yet," Layla said.

The expression on her face sort of _definitely_ scared Ethan and Zach, and they could have sworn her eyes flashed green for a moment there.

"Is it all right for you to leave your Great Aunt alone since she only got out of hospital yesterday?" Ethan asked, frowning.

"Mrs. Olgestein offered to keep her company until I got home, because _they both think that my studies are very important_," she quoted sarcastically.

"Hmm, I think you're trying to imply something there, Lay, but I'm not sure what," Zach said, rolling his eyes at her.

"That her Great Aunt doesn't care about her stud... _Oh_, never mind," Ethan said quickly when they all looked at him.

Warren shook his head, and looked back to the mathematics book in front of him. _If a superhero and sidekick are travelling at 100km an hour towards the centre of a city, where the villain has already had the hero's girlfriend tied up for the last fifteen minutes and is monologuing to her, how long will it take before the hero can save her_?

"This is ridiculous; the question doesn't even make sense!" he growled, his hands flaming.

Layla rolled her eyes at him, taking the spray bottle off the table beside her and spraying water on the book. It wasn't the first time he'd set the book on fire that afternoon.

"What's the question?" she asked, holding out her hand for the book.

Warren gave it to her, the cover wet and curled from the flames, and watched as she read the question, his arms folded over his chest. Layla flipped the page, and he bit his tongue so he wouldn't swear - his mother had a sixth sense when it came to things like that. He hadn't looked at the next page, and had no idea if whatever was written would help answer the question.

"If the centre of the city is an hour away from where the hero and sidekick are, and the villain takes an hour and a half to finish his monologue, as it says here, then it will take the hero fifteen minutes to save her. So, you want option C: _twenty minutes due to the sidekick giving wrong directions_."

"Hey!" Zach and Ethan cried out in indignation.

"Don't give me that. I doubt yours are any better about heroes," Warren muttered, taking the book back from Layla. "Thanks, hippie."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "Although, if you can't work that out, you might want to seriously consider choosing someone _really_ smart to be your hero support," Layla added, her smile becoming wicked.

"The pain, will it never cease?" he said sarcastically, writing the answer in his book.

He tried not think about that wicked smile, but it was getting harder to keep thoughts of Layla out of his head.

"Hi, kids! I brought cookies for you," Warren's mother announced, opening the door and walking in with a plate of choc-chip cookies.

Frowning at each other, Zach and Ethan wondered if they were really going to leave now. Without a word, Layla and Warren both started to pack their things, and as a feeling of pressure began pressing in their heads, the two boys hurried to follow suit. Taking a handful of cookies each, they left the house with their bags slung over their shoulders.

Taking one of the few remaining cookies (to keep those had taken more of her power than she expected; _dear god, did those kids like to eat_!), Warren's mother grinned at finally getting the house to herself, and bit into the cookie as she left to watch TV with the volume up loud.

...

End of chapter fourteen.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_The Heavens and Earth rose out of Chaos_.  
>John Milton - A Paradise Lost.<p>

_Read on, oh faithful ones_.

...

Chapter Fifteen

...

"Hello?" Layla called out politely. "I've brought some friends over to study," she added, not knowing what state her Great Aunt would be in.

"That's nice, isn't it, Greta?" Frieda asked as they came out of the kitchen.

Greta didn't look overly pleased, her eyes narrowing when she saw Warren. Beside her, Frieda brightened up considerably, and hurried over to take his arm, leading him to the dining room.

Zach bit his knuckles in an attempt to muffle his laugh, but became serious when he passed Layla's Great Aunt, quickly taking his hat off at her brief glare.

"Nice to see you again, ma'am," he said, hurrying past her.

"Hello, Mrs. Auden. It's wonderful to see you again, and may I say what a lovely house you have?" Ethan gushed nervously, almost running past when he saw the unimpressed look on the woman's face.

"I am sorry for bringing them all over unannounced like this, but it wasn't working out at Warren's house, and they've all been asking to see where I live now, so I thought it would be like hitting two birds with one stone... Which is kind of an awful saying if you think about it, I mean, really, who would want to hurt birds in that way?"

"Stop your rambling, girl, and go already," Greta growled, glaring at her.

Layla hung her head and passed her Great Aunt to go to the dining room, but there was an air of smug satisfaction to her that made Greta's fist clench. She turned to see Frieda standing behind her, looking appalled at the way she'd spoken to Layla.

"Really, Greta! Was that necessary? She was apologising for having friends over to **study**, for goodness sakes! They're not in there partying, you know."

Greta didn't reply, instead turning and going back into the kitchen. Her leaving didn't stop Frieda as it usually did, and her friend followed her into the kitchen, telling her just how wonderful Layla was, how caring she was, and how she was wrong to treat her only living relative in that manner.

"She called me_ cutie_ again," Warren muttered at Layla, glowering.

Zach chuckled, not bothering to muffle it this time. "She called you _cutie_? Aww, aren't you such a _cute widdle_ ... Hey, don't do that! We're inside!" he said in alarm when Warren's fist lit up.

"Shut up then."

Nodding quickly, Zach sighed in relief when the flame disappeared.

"I'll make it up to you later," Layla said, smiling at Warren.

"How are you going to make it up to him?" Ethan asked, frowning.

Warren thought of waking up with Layla in his arms, the kisses she gave him, her hand in his...

"It's a surprise," she replied, and there was a faint tinge on her cheeks, making him wonder if she'd had the same thoughts.

"Okay... Do you think your Great Aunt would get us drinks? Those cookies made me thirsty," Ethan muttered.

"I don't think she would. I'll get them though; are you all okay with lemonade?"

They agreed quickly, and when Layla was out of the room, Zach turned to Warren. "All right, hot head, 'fess up. What's going on with you and Layla?"

"What?" Ethan asked, frowning in confusion.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed those looks they've been giving each other _all day_?" Zach muttered, shaking his head and looking back at Warren.

"No idea what you're talking about, glow worm," he replied, his voice even but his jaw clenched.

"Glow worm? What happened to glow stick?"

"I believe it was a way to degrade you," Ethan said. "**Is** there something going on between you and Layla?" he asked, both of them watching Warren intently.

"No, nothing."

"Okay, so you won't mind if I ask her out then?" Zach asked, standing and brushing off his shirt.

"Sit. The. _Fuck_. Down," Warren growled, his hands bursting into flames.

Zach just grinned and sat in his seat calmly. Moments later, Layla walked in, carrying four glasses, two held by vines. Setting them on the table, she frowned and looked between the three boys, who were all studying innocently.

"Why does the room smell like smoke?"

"I was proving a point," Zach replied, grinning brightly.

"Warren didn't agree," Ethan added in explanation, a grin twitching on his lips.

"Um, _okay_," she said, obviously not believing them. "Maybe next time, open a window _before_ you start a debate," Layla said, walking past them to open the window. "What were you talking about anyway?"

There was a moment of hesitation from all of them, and Warren rolled his eyes at the sidekicks' inability to think of a suitable lie.

"We were talking about superheroes. Zach thinks that Catwoman would beat Poison Ivy, and I think he's an idiot," he said, adjusting in his seat slightly when Layla sat next to him.

"Really? You think Catwoman would beat Poison Ivy? Oh, you poor misguided boy," Layla said, shaking her head.

"No, I'm not! Poison Ivy doesn't _fight_, all she does is conjure plants and vines, and Catwoman does all those flips and things and she has the whip," Zach protested, his hands demonstrating his argument.

"Catwoman's already beaten Poison Ivy in comic-verse," Ethan pointed out. "And without her plants, Poison Ivy doesn't have any weapons other than her lethal kiss and the fact that she herself is poisonous."

Warren could immediately see the similarities between Poison Ivy and Layla, and briefly wondered what she'd look like in a tight green outfit. He ignored Zach's smirk, as if he knew what he was thinking.

"You really think Poison Ivy would win a fight in some warehouse that doesn't have plants? She'd be vulnerable and close to human then," Ethan added.

Layla was silent for a moment, frowning. "That's like saying she's not smart enough to take seeds, paper, or even pieces of bark with her."

"Uh, what?" Zach asked, confused.

"They're all natural things that she can manipulate, even if the paper's processed. And even her costume would probably have something natural woven into it. She would never leave herself completely unprotected and vulnerable like that."

Ethan briefly wondered if she was still talking about Poison Ivy.

"How would she carry any of that? It's not like her costume really has a place to put bark and paper!" Zach said.

"I'm not sure," Layla admitted, drawing on her notebook as she thought about it. "Well, okay, she'd lose against Catwoman in that particular scenario, but if they were outside, Poison Ivy would win hands down. Catwoman would be surrounded before she could move."

"What about her claws? Those things are sharp; she'd be able to cut through any plants Poison Ivy created!"

"I don't think you've ever seen just how thick some vines are, Zach," she replied, laughing. "And a lot of vines have sharp thorns that would hurt Catwoman even more. She'd be trapped and poisoned within seconds."

There was a knock at the door, and Frieda stepped inside a moment later, smiling at them.

"Just wanted to see how you were all doing," she said, then looked to Layla. "Your Great Aunt would like to see you in the kitchen if you're free, dear?"

"Oh, I'll be right there," Layla said, closing her books and standing. "Zach, Ethan, this is Frieda Olgestein, one of my Great Aunt's friends," she introduced.

She rested her hand on Warren's shoulder, squeezing gently as a way to show him that she would be all right on her own. He nodded briefly, but watched as she left nonetheless.

"So, Mrs. Olgestein, do you think Warren and Layla would be a cute couple?" Zach asked in a conversational tone.

Warren's pen snapped in half, and if he wasn't in the presence of a non-super, he would have roasted the glow worm alive. He figured that's what Zach was counting on, and tried to think of a way to get Frieda to leave so he could exact his revenge on the pale boy.

"Oh, do you think so? He's such a cutie," - Zach snorted at this, and Warren clenched his jaw, promising himself to make his revenge painful and so _very_ slow - "and Layla's such a lovely dear. They'd be wonderful together!"

"And their babies would just be the cutest things ever!" Zach added, grinning as he looked over at him with his damn eyes _twinkling_.

"Excuse me," Warren muttered, leaving the room before he put his broken pen through his friend's twinkling eyes and set them alight.

Layla left the kitchen door open and stood on the side of the bench that was closest to the exit. If she needed to get out before doing something drastic, she wanted that getaway to be as close as possible.

"Mrs. Olgestein said you wanted to see me?" she asked with a brief smile.

Greta waited a moment, her eyes searching Layla's face for remorse, guilt, or a combination of the two. When she found neither, she sighed, and decided to get this over with before Frieda returned and tried to physically force her to say the words.

"It has been brought to my attention that you have not been extreme in your emotions nor completely unbearable to live with. You are still coping with your mother's death, and for that, I should have been more understanding towards your feelings and sensibilities," she ground out. "I was rash in contacting the boarding school, and you are welcome to stay here and continue to attend Sky High."

Layla's eyes widened briefly. Her Great Aunt's tone left something to be desired, but her words were unexpected, and she had to wonder exactly what sort of hold Frieda had over her.

"Thank you; I'll try to learn how to control my emotions better so I'm not unbearable to live with," Layla replied, trying to keep her voice pleasant.

Greta nodded in response, and taking that as her dismissal, Layla turned to leave.

"I know you poisoned me," Greta hissed, glaring at her back.

Layla's stride didn't falter, and she pretended that she didn't hear her Great Aunt's words. She frowned slightly on seeing Warren standing out in the hallway and made her way over to him.

"Is everything all right?" she asked, feeling the extreme body heat that he was exuding.

"They're ... they're in there ... and they're discussing how _cute _we'd be as a couple," Warren said, his teeth gritted.

"Did Mrs. Olgestein call you _cutie_ again?" Layla asked sympathetically.

"That's not the point. They're talking about babies, and that's just so _very_ **wrong.** I mean, we're not even... and we've never..." he groaned in frustration, trying to keep his emotions under control before he did something stupid like set the house on fire.

Smiling at the obvious war of his emotions, Layla took his arm. Warren watched as she moved his wrist cuff and wrapped her hand around the vine mark beneath it. Slowly, his emotions began to settle, and as she closed her eyes, he saw them turn a bright green colour.

"Oh, hello, what are you two doing out here?" Frieda asked, her smile broad and knowing.

"Just talking, Mrs. Olgestein. My Great Aunt is still in the kitchen, if you'd like to talk with her," Layla said, opening her brown eyes and smiling at the older woman.

She let go of Warren's wrist discreetly, moving to step in front of him so he could replace his cuff.

"How did it go? Did she talk to you?"

"Yes, she apologised, and I've promised to try and control my emotions," Layla said.

"You didn't need to promise that, dear. You're as pleasant as a plum," Frieda said, waving her hand at her. "You two go back to studying, and I'll leave you to it."

"So, are you two coming back inside, or do you still need more time? We can think of baby names if you're that busy," Zach said, grinning at them.

"I've got a better idea. Think of disastrous ways for Will and Magenta to break up," Layla said with a wicked grin.

"Like him dropping her while making out in midair? Thought of that last week. Made me laugh for a good ten minutes," he said brightly.

"Oh, really?" Layla asked, grinning at him. "And I thought you were only cruel to Warren."

"The cruelness is unlimited and not specific to a single person," Zach replied with a laugh, going back into the room.

"I told you he was a permanent marker," she muttered to Warren.

"Yeah, I know. Ethan'll take longer though," he replied. Then he frowned and looked down at her. "Did you really promise your Great Aunt that you'd control your emotions?"

"Yes. I figured Frieda would say something like that, and I know she's probably in there grilling her for information now. I didn't want to lie to her and be caught out."

"Sneaky, hippie, very sneaky."

"No, it's more self preservation than anything else. If my Great Aunt thinks I'm lying, she'll pack me away to boarding school before I can claim innocence."

"I wouldn't let that happen," Warren muttered, squeezing her hand gently.

"Neither would I," Layla replied with a brief smile. "Come on, let's go study. I want to get it over with and keep arguing Poison Ivy's case."

He chuckled and followed her into the dining room, his fingertips lingering on her skin.

...

"Remind me why we're here, hippie? Especially during the day?" Warren asked in a hiss, even as he stepped over the fence to follow her towards the house on Sycamore Street. "It's a weekday, and my mum knows I'm not working. If I get into trouble because of you, I'll ..."

"You'll _what_?" Layla asked, turning to look at him with an intrigued grin. When he didn't answer, she smirked knowingly. "I promise it'll be worth it. Come on, through here."

With a heavy sigh, Warren just gave into his earthly temptation in the form of a luscious redhead, and walked up to join her on the creaky porch.

"You have to stay close to me. I can only keep a small area solid," Layla said, looking down at the patch beneath her feet.

Following her gaze, Warren saw the brown rotting wood a few boards away, yet the ones beneath them had a healthier sheen to them and seemed far more solid than the others.

"You're not going to exhaust yourself and put us through the floor, are you?"

"It might be easier if you were closer," Layla replied.

He moved quickly, taking the three steps until he was almost pressed flush against her body.

"Better?" Warren asked, his voice low and hot against her skin.

She made a noise of agreement - although it was probably more a whimper of pleasure than anything else - and tried to remember how to breathe. Before she could figure out that trick, Warren's lips were on hers, his kiss burning and his tongue hot as he traced her lips. As Layla kissed him back she could feel her power growing within her body, the vines beneath her skin rippling in anticipation. When he went to touch her, Warren made himself pull away, watching her as his chest heaved and he licked his lips to taste her sweetness.

"Definitely worth it," he said, grinning.

Layla grinned back at him, despite knowing that she probably looked like a lovesick fool.

"Hippie? That wasn't there when we came in, was it?" Warren asked with a slight frown, looking at the small jungle that the front yard had become.

A car drove past, its headlights muted through the thick grass.

"It might be a good idea to leave it up. Come on, let's hurry before it gets too late," she said, taking his hand and leading him inside.

"You still haven't told me what we're doing here," he muttered.

"We're going to practice," Layla replied simply.

"Here, now? Why?"

"You promised to practice with me to see if we could combine our powers for Save the Citizen."

"Well, yeah, but I thought you meant _during_ Save the Citizen! Not on someone else's property, not when we have the opportunity to fuck things up really bad!"

"If you're scared about being on someone else's property, then I guess we'd better go," she mocked.

"I never said I was scared, hippie," he retorted, glowering.

"Then prove it. One fire and plant combination, and we'll go. It'll be fine. Besides, this place will be knocked down when we make the secret sanctum here," Layla added with a grin.

"You think all of this rotting wood will be safe if I create a fire on top of it? If I make the fire and I'm concentrating on combining it with one of your plants then it's highly possible for this place to go up in flames, no matter if I'm inside or not."

"Okay. Wait here, I'll be right back," Layla said, stepping away from him.

Glancing down nervously, Warren was relieved to see that the floorboards didn't return to their normal rotting state beneath his feet. Layla didn't look as assured, and ran out of the house as fast as she could. As her distance increased, the floorboards began to creak and Warren's relief quickly faded. Layla returned in moments, the floor becoming solid once more.

"Don't do that again," he muttered, then frowned at the large rectangle in her hands. "What's that, and how's it meant to help?"

"The Stronghold Realty sign. It's one of their old metal ones, which should protect the wooden house from your fire... So long as you can keep it limited to this area," she added, placing the sign on the floor.

"Should be easy enough," he mused.

"All right," Layla said, looking at the metal sign with a small frown. Now that they were here, she found that she didn't exactly have a plan of how to attempt this thing.

"How about you make a plant in the middle, and I'll try to make a circle of flames around it?" Warren suggested, seeing that she was at a loss.

"Good idea," she agreed, quickly digging into her pocket and placing the retrieved seed down on the sign.

With a thought and short burst of power, the seed grew quickly, and soon a small shrub sat before them. Warren clicked a flame to life, flicking it towards the sign. The plant immediately burst into flame, and Layla hurried to change it to a seed before the fire could damage it permanently.

"Sorry, let's try again," he muttered, extinguishing the flames.

Nodding, Layla grew the shrub once more. Taking more care this time, Warren let the flame fall and land on the sign, his hands sculpting the circle in sync with his thoughts and brief burst of power. It worked for a moment, and they grinned at each other, but with that emotion, their concentration slipped, and the shrub caught on fire once more. Layla quickly returned it to a seed while Warren stopped the fire.

They both went still when they heard a car pull up outside. Putting her hand up to indicate for Warren to stay where he was, Layla hurried to the front area, the dirty glass and long grass obscuring her view. A brief thought had the grass swaying gently, and she paled slightly when she realised she recognised the car.

Hurrying back to the room, Layla didn't say anything, she simply grabbed the sign off the floor. Wiping off the soot from the fire, she quietly crept to the front door, throwing the sign on the grass, dirt and leaves covering it silently at her command. Closing and locking the door behind her, Layla made her way back to Warren, taking his hand and leading him to the back door. It was locked, but there was a hole to the side that was big enough for them to step through after a small power-fuelled adjustment.

Hearing the front door open, but no footsteps sounding, Layla figured it had to be Mrs. Stronghold. Warren was silent as they crouched past windows to get to the front once more, both keeping an eye and ear out for the flying superhero as they stepped over the picket fence silently.

Luck - and the public transport system - was on their side, and the bus to Layla's Great Aunt's house arrived on time, unsuspectingly taking them away from the scene of their crime.

"That was close," Layla breathed, but she was grinning rather than sounding remorseful or worried.

Warren grinned back at her, his adrenaline still coursing through him, and he put his arm around her shoulders. Layla rested against him, listening to the sound of his heart beating in time with her own.

...

Josie parked her car on the kerb, frowning slightly as she looked up at the old wooden structure beside her. The fence had been kicked in and vandalised in places, and the garden was so overgrown that it almost blocked the entire view of the house.

"I was sure I asked Steve to organise the gardener," she muttered to herself, getting out of the car and locking it behind her.

She checked her reflection quickly, discreetly ensuring that she had her glasses on and her secret identity was safe. With that done, Josie continued muttering about Steve's incompetence as she opened the no-longer-white picket gate, the hinges protesting with a loud squeak, and made her way down the small path to the rotting house.

"Ask for _one_ simple thing... Should know better than to ask him, the man can't even organise dinner when I'm in Rome with the Ambassador!"

Josie stepped up onto the porch carefully, looking around her to ensure she was alone. When she was certain that she was, Josie floated up into the air slightly. The house really was rotted through and a hazard, but the Mayor refused to tear it down without concrete proof of this fact. Without her feet touching the floorboards, she was at less of a risk to make the whole thing come crumbling down around her.

_**That**__ would be enough proof for you, wouldn't it Mr. Mayor_? she thought, rolling her eyes. Okay, she might have been harbouring a few bad feelings over his comment about her dinner the other night. _It had been a brilliant pasta dish, she was sure of it! The Mayor just didn't know good food when he ate it_!

Opening the front door, Josie made her way through the house, snapping photos of the rotting floors, hole-ridden doors, and vandalised walls. The whole house smelled of smoke, and she kept one hand covering her nose and mouth to filter the putrid smell. Staying outside by the door, she only took one photo of the bathroom, the smell permeating from inside making her feel ill. Josie refused to look at the photo until she'd left. If it was bad enough, she might make it the first picture the Mayor would see.

Leaving the house, Josie landed on the ground gently, shielding her eyes from a bright reflection. Thinking it to be her car, she soon realised that it was too close to be that, and scanned her surroundings to find the source. Seeing a large piece of metal nearby, she lifted it gingerly, only to find that it was the Stronghold Real Estate sign for the house. It did have Steve's number, and as it was metal, it must have been years old. _Why, they hadn't used metal signs since Will was in junior high_! Lifting the sign carefully, Josie dusted off the dirt and leaves that had gathered. She stopped what she was doing, frowning suddenly.

"If this has been here long enough to get all of this dirt on it, then how did that person know to ring Steve?" she muttered, looking at her blackened hand.

Remembering how windy it had been a few nights ago when a summer storm hit Maxville (_really, with all of the weather-powered supers out there, you think they'd be able to control something as simple as a storm_), Josie put it down to nature, and thought no more of it. The wind had been enough to topple Will's old swing set in their backyard, so a simple sign would have been no trouble at all.

Humming to herself, she propped the sign against the fence and put a sticker across the front reading "under contract". With that all done, Josie brushed off her hands and drove home, certain that she and Steve would win the Realtor Sales Award this year.

...

End of the fifteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_The Heavens and Earth rose out of Chaos._

John Milton, A Paradise Lost.

_Read on, oh faithful ones._

...

Chapter Sixteen

...

Sitting at the back of the bus, Layla sketched in her notebook, adding more designs to the secret sanctum as she thought of them. Warren hadn't seemed too pleased at the addition of a dressing room, but she thought it necessary in order to house their outfits and any other disguises that they might wear.

_It wasn't even that big of a room_, Layla thought to herself, looking at the small rectangular room. _Although, maybe he was more upset about the clothes dispenser that circulated the pieces of clothing at the touch of a button_.

When she couldn't think of anything else to add in, Layla flipped the page to where she'd drawn a rough sketch of an outfit the day before. Despite what she'd told Zach and Ethan, she knew exactly where to carry seeds or even bits of paper: in the hemline of the outfit. If it was natural, as she presumed it would be, then it would be all too easy to open the hem and get the seeds out. It could even be useful if she was kidnapped, a trail of seeds leading her rescuer to wherever she'd been taken. Well, that is if she allowed herself to be kidnapped, or was taken by surprise.

Layla briefly wondered how Warren had been kidnapped by his father. She could imagine him as a young child, trusting his father, as naive and foolish as she'd been._He would have been scared at first, and then angry. So angry at his father, at himself, maybe even his mother. The anger would have consumed him until it burned as bright as his arms, and all of that anger and flames had to go somewhere, burning a hole through the wall for him to escape while his father was preoccupied elsewhere_.

"Hey, hippie. What are you thinking about?" Warren asked with a slight frown as he sat beside her.

She was staring off into space and didn't even seem to register that the bus had stopped, let alone that he'd sat next to her.

"Hippie?" he repeated, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh, hi Warren," Layla said quickly, giving him an apologetic grin. "Sorry, spaced for a moment. Did you say something?"

"Could see that. I asked what you were thinking about."

"Oh no," Layla whispered, her face paling and the two syllables were filled with so much distraught that Warren looked to see what she'd seen.

_Well, fuck. The house on Sycamore Street was under contract_.

In her hands, her entire notebook began to wilt, the pages curling and shrinking.

"Not this too," she whispered, the words swallowed by the sound of the bus squealing to a stop for the final passenger.

"Hey, hippie, look at me. Layla," Warren said, moving her face gently so that she was looking at him.

The blank expression in her green eyes concerned him, and he wasn't surprised to realise that vines were starting to circle his feet while the rest of the students sat by obliviously.

"It's just one house; there are more in Maxville, including others that aren't on the same street as a bus full of supers. Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked, his voice a rough whisper.

She nodded briefly, but the vines still continued to circle his feet.

"I really had my heart set on that one, Warren. It just feels like everyone and everything I want, need, or love is leaving me... Which I know sounds stupid, it's just a house, but..." her words stopped with a choked sob.

"It doesn't sound stupid, hippie. And for the record, I'm not going anywhere," he added. "Well, not until we get to Sky High; I have no desire to repeat my sophomore year. Especially if I have to be in the same class as Stronghold. How you haven't beaten him to a pulp yet is beyond me," Warren said, grinning.

His words had the desired effect, and Layla laughed softly, wiping at her eyes. The vines disappeared a moment later, and then she yelped in surprise when the bus drove off the freeway. Beside her, Warren had his jaw clenched, the sudden drop surprising him as well.

"That burst of adrenaline should replace my need for coffee until lunch," he said in her ear.

She simply nodded in response, her eyes screwed shut tightly.

...

"Hey, Ethan, do you have that book with the people who want to go against us in Save the Citizen?" Layla asked at lunch.

"Yeah, it's right here. I've taken to carrying it around with me, since more people are asking about it," he replied with a grin. Ethan handed the book over to her, grinning slightly.

"You're loving the attention, aren't you, Popsicle?" Warren asked, smirking.

"Well, I wouldn't..."

"Yeah, he totally is," Zach said, clapping him on the back with a grin.

Shaking her head at them, Layla opened the book, looking at the list.

"How good are you feeling today, Warren?" she asked, frowning briefly.

"No better or worse than usual," he replied with a frown of his own, reading over her shoulder.

Ethan's sorting and organising skills had classified the pairings in skill level, ranging from _more than easy_ up to _so hard you'll need private health insurance before fighting them_, under which only one pair was classed. Layla glanced at the others, deciding that starting with an _easy peasy pair_ and going onto a _challenging_ pair would probably be best for now.

"I don't know if these are better or worse than the hero and sidekick labels," Layla muttered.

"Who on earth are Grant and Jewel?" Warren asked, seeing the pair under the health-insurance-hard label.

"Jewel is the brunette over there," Ethan said, indicating to a girl sitting by the window. "She has the ability to change anything she touches into a jewel. Apparently, it's a very painful process for humans."

"Doesn't sound too hard to beat; we just won't let her touch us," Warren commented.

"Just keep watching her for a moment, you'll see."

They did, and Layla was the first to spot the shining reflection of her skin.

"She's a jewel?" she asked in confusion.

"Her skin has the same properties as a diamond, actually," Ethan corrected. "That includes the ability to retain extreme heat and cut through anything. Your fireballs would be useless, and your vines couldn't possibly hold her," he said, looking at Warren and Layla respectively.

"All right, what about Grant?"

"Grant is the blonde there," Ethan said, indicating to a boy a few tables away.

While Grant wasn't alone at the table, the people he was seated with seemed to be giving him a wide berth.

"He has the ability to repel _everything_ and seems to be immune to powers. The Mad Scientist is still running some tests, apparently, but Grant is one of the people who could go against the Commander and win. He could repel a punch and the Commander would be the one to crumble," Ethan said in a hushed and awed tone.

"I want him on my side when the world falls," Zach muttered. "What?" he added when Ethan looked at him oddly.

"So how do you figure that Grant's _health insurance bad_?" Layla asked, redirecting the conversation and hiding her smile at Zach's words. She'd been thinking the same thing about both super teens.

"Well, he'd repel anything either of you could throw at him, and even if you did manage to do something, he'd be immune to it. He's never been sick in his life."

"So his is cell-deep, not skin-deep like Jewel's," Warren said with a nod. "Who are his parents?"

"Well, that's the thing. His mother is completely human, and no one knows who his father is. There's been speculation that his father is the Incredible Genius," Ethan said in a whisper.

"Just who has been speculating this?" Layla asked in amusement.

"Well, mostly me, but I have a good reason for it," he replied quickly.

He took the book from Layla, flipping to the back where the small document pocket was located. He unfolded a few pieces of paper and placed them on the table. Ethan looked from the photographs of the Incredible Genius to Grant.

"He looks remarkably similar to him, and while it's not 100 per cent proof, there's also this," he added, unfolding another piece of paper, this one a photocopy of a newspaper clipping.

"_Michael Marking the youngest graduate from the University of Maxville, age 15, majored in genetic engineering and has a bright future ahead_," Layla read quietly. "Yeah, that's all good and well, but Grant's at least 17 years old. The Incredible Genius was captured almost 20 years ago. No amount of genetics could keep a woman pregnant for three years before giving birth."

"Grant's a senior, and since he was born early in the year, he's actually closer to 19 years old," Ethan replied. "The Incredible Genius was captured 18 years and 7 months ago."

They went silent, looking from the pictures to Grant.

"You did all of this just for Save the Citizen?" Warren asked, frowning at Ethan briefly.

He faltered, not having thought of it that way. "I did it so you'd understand your opponents better. I didn't really think of itas something for Save the Citizen," he admitted with a slight grin.

"I'm not knocking it, Popsicle. It's great you put all this work into it. Thanks," Warren added, chuckling when Ethan darkened.

"So, how many people have asked? Do you reckon this is the entire school?" Layla asked.

"Oh, definitely not. I've only been asked by 30 people approximately, and the school has about 120 students if I go by the average of 30 people per year. Besides, the small amount of information I've written in there for each person isn't detailed. If you compare it with the school records of students, then that book's almost worthless. I've only given you their name and superpower," he said, shaking his head.

Zach frowned slightly, seeing the look that passed between Warren and Layla. He wasn't entirely sure what the look meant, but he was beginning to suspect that it didn't mean something good for the rest of the student population.

"It's definitely not worthless, Ethan. You've done an awesome job, and this will be so useful... Oh, I think I know who we should go against," Layla added, indicating the two pairs to Warren.

"Who?" Zach asked, grinning.

"Wait and see," Warren replied.

The bell rang loudly, and Ethan hurried to put the pieces of paper back in his book, stuffing the notebook into his bag.

"You're really not going to tell us?" Zach asked in disappointment.

"Patience is a virtue, Zach," Layla replied over her shoulder, grinning.

"See you at the gym," Ethan called.

"What's the point of being best friends with the reigning champions of Save the Citizen if they don't tell you who they're going to fight?" Zach muttered, leaving with Ethan.

"Really? Warren's your best friend?"

"Well, there's Layla and you, of course... Don't tell Warren," he added quickly.

"Wouldn't dream of it. He'd probably evaporate me," Ethan replied with a chuckle. "Come on, I want to get a good seat so I can record the fight."

With a nod, Zach hurried with him through the corridors.

...

"So, any strategies for the first pair, hippie?" Warren asked when they were dressed and in their protective gear.

Layla pretended to think about it for a moment. "Well, I'm still extremely upset about the house on Sycamore, so I say we wipe the floor with them and let the Citizen get destroyed," she replied brightly.

"Lucky we're going with the harder ones first then," he replied, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Catwoman beating Poison Ivy, yeah right," Layla scoffed.

"So I'm stuck with the human hose?_Great_," Warren muttered.

"Do you want someone else? I thought he'd be easy for you; just heat him up until he's nothing but boiling water."

"Boiling water is still water, hippie," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'll do it, but if I call for help, you put the cat down and help me, understood?"

"If you call for help, I'll throw the cat at him. Cats hate water more than you," she said, grinning.

"All right, you two. Heroes or villains, and who do you pick?"

"Villains," Layla said sweetly. "And I pick Kate," she said, indicating to the feline-looking girl.

"Paul," Warren said, gesturing at him.

"Come on, Catwoman!" Zach called loudly, a few people laughing at his enthusiasm, or Kate's new nickname.

Kate glared at Zach, and he hurried to sit down again, but still grinned nonetheless.

"I bet Catwoman's going to kick Poison Ivy's butt," Zach said to Ethan, chuckling.

"I'll take you on that bet," he replied, stunning his friend for a moment.

"You're going to bet on Layla against Catwoman? Dude, it's like I don't even know you anymore."

"Oh, shut up and accept the bet already," Ethan replied, rolling his eyes.

"I don't exactly have any cash on me. What else can we bet for?"

"How about a dare?" he suggested.

"You're on! If Catwoman wins against Layla, you have to streak completely_naked_ down the school corridor," Zach said, laughing.

Ethan paled slightly, but he shook his hand anyway, figuring that if he did lose, he'd be able to streak while melted down.

"All right, and if Layla wins, then you ... Oh, no," Ethan said quickly, realising that the buzzer was about to sound and he didn't have the camera ready.

Warren adjusted his gloves as a ruse to cover his left wrist properly, glancing over to Layla, who had an assortment of green bracelets over her left wrist. She saw where he was looking and grinned briefly. The buzzer sounded loudly, pulling both of them out of their thoughts, and Warren and Layla moved forward to their opponents.

Kate ran forward, sharp nails growing, her hands changing shape as her body squeezed and stretched in the same motion. In a burst of clothing, the girl turned into a cat. Unfortunately, she wasn't a small domestic cat as most would have presumed. Instead, she was a lion.

"Oh man, you had better get ready to strip," Zach crowed, clapping Ethan on the back.

Layla came to a sudden stop, staring at the large lioness before her.

"We're swapping, hippie. No arguments."

"We're not going to swap, Warren. I can handle her. Deal with Paul before he puts you out," she muttered.

He saw the stubborn set of her jaw, and with a growl, turned on Paul, his arms flaming. Warren didn't even give the boy time to power up or react before he threw fireball after fireball at him, the flames surrounding him in a circle that grew higher with each passing second. Paul tried to get his power flowing to put out the fire, but it seemed to be resistant to anything he could produce.

Kate advanced on Layla, a predator's gleam in her eyes as she snarled softly. Gathering herself to pounce, she did so, a large paw swiping out at the redhead. Kate growled when she realised that she was stuck in midair, something tight around her waist. Her growl turned into mewls when the tight feeling became painful, hundreds of thorns piercing her body. Kate tried to use her sharp claws to break through the vines, but every movement made the thorns dig in deeper, and she couldn't move her limbs the proper way to reach the base of the vine anyway.

"_Yes_! I hope you weren't getting too excited about seeing me naked, Zach," Ethan said with a laugh.

Layla watched for a moment as the vine twirled around Kate, covering her from head to toe in mid-pounce. When she was completely contained, Layla turned to see Warren facing off Paul. The latter boy seemed to be surrounded, crouched on the ground as the heat of the flames intensified and made him weaker in turn.

"You want to deal with the Citizen?" Layla asked, moving towards him.

"I think we should both do it," Warren replied, looking at her.

"Not in front of them. Let's save that one for later," she said with a slight smirk. "But if you destroy the rope, I'll make sure the citizen will never speak again."

With a nod, Warren turned and threw a ball of fire straight at the citizen. It tore through the rope immediately, the loose ends curling and blackening. Coach Boomer called out a warning to Warren when the fireball hit his clipboard. Everyone ignored him, and Layla used a vine to feed the citizen into the teeth headfirst. A moment of silence surrounded them at the deliberate act, but then Boomer called out that they were the winners, Nurse Spex made her way into the arena, and noise returned to the gym once more.

"Maybe we should be heroes this time around," Warren muttered, scanning the crowd of faces and whispers that were being directed at them.

"Yeah, you're right. Looks like we'll have to be heroes until this blows over. But I really hate that citizen," Layla muttered.

"At least it's not a real one."

"I have a feeling that a real citizen would be more annoying," she said, rolling her eyes.

Warren conceded with a nod, and they turned to challenge their next opponents.

...

Layla adjusted her skirt quickly while no one was watching, smoothing out the material as she glanced at her surroundings. It was her first day working at the Mayor's office, she still didn't have much idea what to do, there were superheroes surrounding her on all sides, and the complete lack of real plant life was actually making her feel nauseated. Three fake plants were all that the building's foyer contained, and no other plant life - real or fake - existed in the entire building. The vine beneath her skin rippled, as if to reassure her that it, at least, was alive. She sighed softly in relief, and made her way over to Ms. Peace, who was to be her supervisor during Layla's three month probation period.

"Okay, I've got an induction checklist here, so we'll go over your duties, make sure you have a swipe card and access codes to the building, and then we'll get you familiarised with the layout of the place."

"Okay, great," Layla replied, trying to ease her nerves.

"Now, your basic duties are photocopying files, filing documents away, basic office duties, and such. When required, you will also need to do some data entry work," Ms. Peace said. "Oh, you've also been nominated for the lunch and coffee run."

"Lunch and coffee run?"

"You take everyone's lunch and coffee orders, and you buy them, bring them back and distribute. It's a cinch," she replied with a smile.

"Okay. How am I meant to do the lunch run if I'm at school?" Layla asked hesitantly.

"Sorry, I meant on weekends and during election time. Although, that may be more a dinner run, depending on how late everyone stays here. It's a busy time, and everyone's expected to pull their weight."

Layla nodded, following Ms. Peace to the photocopying room.

"If this thing breaks, then you'll want to call Stephanie. She's a step short of being a technopath, but she can fix nearly anyelectronic item there is."

"Unless there's a problem with the software, or a virus. I'm not a geek, and I can't do that," a woman added, stepping into the room. "Hi, I'm Stephanie. You must be the new coffee girl," she stated, looking Layla over and continuing without giving her a chance to introduce herself. "Make sure you get the orders right, or else you'll meet the same fate as the last one," Stephanie drawled as she swiped her card against the printer.

It beeped and began printing her job. There was silence for a long moment, and Ms. Peace raised her eyebrows slightly at Layla, attempting a grin. She smiled back hesitantly, stepping out of Stephanie's way when she grabbed her printed documents and left the room without a word.

"What exactly happened to the last coffee person?" Layla asked quietly.

"He got Stephanie decaf two days in a row, and was fired by the third. She's one of the Mayor's favourites, so just make sure to get her coffee order right," she replied, shaking her head. "Anyway, when you get your card, you'll be able to log on to the printer. For now, I'll show you how to print using mine."

It was fairly simple, and the instructions were laminated on the wall above the printer itself, so Layla could consult those if she forgot anything. Ms. Peace took her down to the HR department to get her photo taken and access card. Layla didn't like her photo, but on seeing some of her new colleagues' photos, she figured she'd been lucky. Ms. Peace continued through the tour, introducing Layla to everyone in such a whirl that she doubted she'd remember their names in an hour's time. The filing system, if it could be called that, was nothing short of a mess, with twenty people using their own methods of filing to put documents away. It was somewhat of a miracle that anything was ever found. Layla's first job would be to sort, organise, and refile every single document within the three-drawer cabinet that had been nicknamed _The Monster_.

"And, last but not least, this is Jorge. He's the Mayor's personal assistant. If you ever need to speak to the Mayor, just ask Jorge, and he'll set everything up."

Layla shook his hand, smiling politely. Jorge didn't seem too enthused about her presence, but by the grey hairs that were framing his otherwise young face, and the thinning of his hair on top, she doubted that he was enthused about much regarding his job.

"He used to have a full head of hair when he started," Ms. Peace muttered as she led Layla away.

"What's his superpower?" she asked.

"He's a cat, which could explain the whole shedding thing, but he's supposed to be really organised. We've yet to see proof of that, and most of the girls are betting he only got the job because he's a relative of the Mayor's. Don't repeat that," she addedquickly.

"I won't," Layla promised.

Ms. Peace nodded, smiling as she guided Layla back to _The Monster_. "Your shift finishes at 8pm, so you might want to get started on this. I'll come back in half an hour to see how you're going, and then we can have a break, okay?"

"Okay, thank you."

The door shut with a sound of finality that Layla decided she didn't like. Sighing, she turned to look at the large black filingcabinet, pulling open the first drawer. Papers were stuffed in files every which way, others were stuck between files, and by the smell that escaped the open drawer, Layla was fairly sure that someone had hidden their lunch inside it.

"This could take a while," she muttered to herself, looking around to find a clear space to sort everything.

The table was covered in papers that hadn't even been attempted to be filed, and with a quick glance out into the office area, Layla turned the table into a small tree with separate flat branches to place the paperwork on. Taking off the messy paperwork, Layla began to sort them into piles alphabetically.

Ms. Peace knocked on the door gently, opening the door and looking inside. She'd been caught up with her work, and it had almost been an hour since she'd left Layla with _The Monster_. She wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting, maybe some tears or her slacking off as one of the previous apprentices had done when left alone, but she was surprised to see that Layla was working hard. A flat-branched tree was before her, papers on each branch, a small vine keeping the papers in place from the ceiling fan spinning above. She wondered how long Layla had kept the tree up; _surely she must be exhausted_?

"Layla? Are you ready for a tea break?"

At Ms. Peace's voice, Layla turned around, placing the bundle in her hands on the desk chair as she nodded.

"Are you all right?" she asked as she led Layla to the break room.

"A little tired, but I'll be fine. Where is everyone?" she asked, seeing the empty desks and offices around them.

"They've all gone home. Most shifts finishbetween 4 and 5pm, so there's not many people here after that time. Your shift finishes at 8pm so you can catch up with work, and get things ready for everyone by the next day. When you're more comfortable in the role, you'll get a lot of printing and photocopying requests that others don't have time to do during the day."

"Okay, that's a good enough reason," Layla said with a brief smile.

"The tree that you've got in the room with_The Monster_, will it be all right without any fresh air or sunlight?" Ms. Peace asked as they sat down.

"It's a bit of a strain, but since I made it out of the wooden desk that was there, it'll be fine."

"How are you going with the filing?"

"Getting there. I've almost finished sorting the first drawer. I don't think there was much of a filing system before this; I found paperwork for KPGM, the television station, in the C file."

Ms. Peace frowned slightly, trying to think of anything that would connect the two. "No idea how they got that," she muttered, shaking her head. "I've found a tray for you, if you want to put that in the room so no one accidentally ruins your work."

"That'd be nice, thank you," Layla replied, taking a drink of water.

When their fifteen minute break finished, they both returned to the office area, Layla going into the filing room, and Ms. Peace returning to her desk. Rolling her shoulders slightly, Layla picked up the bundle once more and continued sorting the documents.

By the time 8pm chimed and Ms. Peace knocked on the door again, Layla had finished sorting the first drawer and was a quarter of the way through the second. The tree looked smaller than before, but she was more surprised at Layla's stamina to keep it up for so long. _All of the games of Save the Citizen must have helped her_, she mused.

"Are you ready to go now, Layla?" she asked with a smile.

Layla nodded, replacing the bundle in the filing cabinet. Slowly, the tree began to shrink, and she moved each pile of documents onto the chair in a neat stack, crossing them over so they wouldn't get mixed up.

"Here's your tray. Why don't we put it on a table or chair outside the room, and lock the door so no one messes up your work?" she offered.

Placing the last pile on the chair, Layla picked them up and placed them on the desk, carrying the chair outside. Writing a quick note to leave all filing in the tray, Layla thanked Ms. Peace and headed down the corridor to leave with her.

"After your probation period is over, you'll be here on your own, and you'll get the alarm codes to lock up," Ms. Peace said, punching the numbers into the pad and locking the door as they left the building.

"Hey, hippie," Warren said, stepping out of the shadows.

"Warren! You scared the hell out of me. I thought I said for you to wait by the car?" his mother asked, holding her hand over her heart to try and calm its erratic pace.

"I did, but it must have looked like I was trying to steal it, because someone called the police, and they've driven by twice already," he replied. "Ah, here they are again. Should I wave?" Warren asked sarcastically as the police car drove past yet again.

"Don't be a smart alec," Ms. Peace said, glaring at him.

"Sorry, I'd better get going. My bus will be here soon," Layla said, interrupting them.

"All right. See you later, Mum," Warren said, turning to leave with Layla.

"You're coming with me?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes, it was his idea, and I'm not letting you go home alone at this time of night either," Ms. Peace said behind them. "Now, go before you miss your bus."

If she wasn't already running late, Layla would have protested. She simply nodded, thanked Ms. Peace again, and hurried out of the parking lot with Warren beside her.

"You didn't have to do this, Warren."

"I know that. It's a Monday deal only, since I'm working the rest of the week. But, if you like, you can come to the _Paper Lantern_ after work, and I can take you home from there."

"Was it really your idea, or did your mother put you up to this?"

"It was my idea, hippie. You look like you could barely make a flower bloom at the moment," Warren added, not letting her protest.

"Well, I made a tree to help sort out the files in _The Monster_, so I did exert myself," Layla admitted. "Thank you, Warren," she added, smiling at him.

"No problem, hippie. Come on, the bus is almost here," he said, headlights from the bus shining behind them as if on cue.

Hailing the bus, they ran to the stop. When they were seated, Layla realised how exhausted she felt, and with a sigh, she leant against Warren's shoulder, smiling and her eyes closing as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

...

End of the sixteenth chapter.

For those interested, I have a Twitter and Facebook account where I regularly update with the upcoming scheduled posts, small drabbles that aren't on here or LiveJournal, and other things I pass off as thoughts. The links are in my profile if you want to take a look.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_.

...

Chapter Seventeen

...

"Hippie? Time to wake up. Come on, we're almost there," Warren murmured in her ear.

Layla mumbled something in return, trying to turn over. She frowned when she realised that she wasn't in bed like she'd thought, and opened her eyes to realise Warren was carrying her. Actually bride-across-the-threshold **carrying** her.

"Are you okay to stand now?" he asked, his hold on her easing so she could stand on her feet.

They stood close to each other, her hands resting on his arms and Warren's hands resting on her hips to help her keep upright.

"Yeah, thanks. Sorry, what happened?" Layla asked, still feeling out of sorts.

"You fell asleep on the bus and I couldn't wake you. The driver was a prick and wouldn't wait until I could get you up, so I had to carry you. You really exhausted yourself with that tree, didn't you, hippie?"

"Sorry," she said, feeling guilty. "I know I'm not the lightest person to carry around."

"It's fine. And you weren't that heavy; who said you were heavy to carry around?" he asked, realising the answer the moment he'd asked the question. "Stronghold? The jerk with _super strength_? Oh, I'm going to beat him to a bloody pulp tomorrow."

"Don't do that," Layla said, shaking her head. "Not yet, at least."

Warren looked at her in surprise, wondering what she meant.

"You know the essay on the villain article we had to write for English? Ethan and Zach have a similar one about villain's sidekicks. I want to see the results of the assignments."

"But no one gets their essay back; Principal Powers keeps them in her office, and everyone just gets a written result by their teacher," Warren replied, frowning briefly.

"Exactly. I want to create a diversion to get the files out of her office."

"And you want me to beat Stronghold to a pulp as that diversion?" he asked, his expression turning into a broad grin. "I'm in."

Layla grinned brightly in response, her cheeks brightening when she realised just how close they were standing. Warren came to the same realisation a moment later, his hands caressing her hips gently. Not giving herself time to think or doubt her next actions, she kissed Warren eagerly, her arms around his shoulders. He kissed her hotly, his hands immediately tightening on her hips, pulling her closer. Warren lifted her slightly so they didn't have to crane their necks, and she pulled away after a moment, her eyes bright.

"This way," she murmured, her feet on the ground in a second, and she led him to the side of her Great Aunt's house.

Warren frowned briefly, but then Layla was kissing him again, her hands on his shoulders as he lifted her once more. Leaning against the side of the house, Warren could hold her easier, his lips burning against hers, and his hands scorching on her hips. There was a ripple beneath her skin, a secret on her lips, and vines circled their feet. Opening his eyes briefly, he saw Layla watching him, her eyes green and bright. She bit at his bottom lip, her tongue flicking against his. She closed her eyes and he followed suit.

A ringing sound made them pull away, and Layla took her phone out to see that her Great Aunt was calling.

"Come on, I'd better get inside," she murmured, kissing him once more before taking his hand and leading him to the porch.

Layla rang the doorbell when she realised that the door was locked and chained. The door opened almost immediately, her Great Aunt glaring at them.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

"I started my job today, and my shift finished at 8pm. Warren walked me home to make sure I'd be safe," Layla replied calmly.

"I can see that," Greta said sarcastically, seeing that his lip was swollen, but she doubted it was to keep Layla 'safe'.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Warren. Thank you for walking me home," she said, kissing his cheek.

He nodded briefly, then looked to her Great Aunt. "Good night, ma'am," Warren said, leaving before he lost control of the fire building inside of his body.

The door slammed behind him, and Warren growled softly when he heard Greta yelling at Layla. Deciding that he couldn't leave just yet, he headed to the side of the house where he and Layla had just made out. It was the same side that she'd made a tree to get into her room. Creating a small ball of fire, Warren used the heat from it to push himself into the air. It wasn't as stable as Will's flight, or a jet pack, but closer to an explosion lifting and catapulting someone into the air. The hot gust of wind and flames pushed him high enough so that he could grab hold of the protruding roof and pull himself up onto the tiles. Below him, the fire died and disappeared entirely.

"I'm going to bed now, unless you have a problem with _**that**_ too!" Layla called, closing her bedroom door, a vine wrapping around the handle.

Her entire body was shaking in rage and other emotions, and she barely kept control of the vines beneath her skin. They whispered in her mind, telling her that it wouldn't take long to push her Great Aunt down the stairs. Her bedroom window opened, but before she had time to do anything, Warren was in her room, his arms wrapping around her body. At his contact, the vines quietened down almost immediately, her body thrumming with a very different emotion.

"Are you okay?" Warren whispered in her ear, pulling back to look at her intently.

Layla nodded briefly, sighing as she moved closer into his embrace. "Stay with me?" she asked quietly.

"Of course. Just let me text Mum so she doesn't freak out again," he muttered.

When she nodded in response, Warren pulled out his phone, flipping it open to do as he'd said. Texting with one arm wrapped around Layla's body was a feat in itself, but he managed to do so, and turned it to silent so his mother's reply wouldn't give them away. He held back a groan of embarrassment when he saw that she'd told him to be safe and use a condom. Slipping his phone into his pocket again, he wrapped his arms around Layla properly.

"Come on, hippie. Let's get you to bed," Warren murmured in her ear.

She pulled away and nodded, leading him to her bed. As they'd done at his home, Layla stripped down to a singlet and underwear, getting beneath her sheet, while Warren stayed in his briefs, moving to sleep on top of the sheet beside her. Layla faced him when she felt the mattress dip, snuggling up against his chest. Warren pressed a kiss to her forehead, wrapping his arm around herbody as they drifted off to sleep.

...

Waking up in Warren's arms, Layla smiled against his shoulder, snuggling her body against his.

"You'd better stop that, hippie, or we won't be going to school," Warren chuckled against her neck, his lips hot against her skin.

"Confident, aren't you?" she murmured, turning around in his arms to look at him.

"With you in my arms, why wouldn't I be?"

Laughing softly, she shook her head at him, moving to get off the bed. "Come on, we've got to get to Sky High. And you've got to get out before my Great Aunt sees you. You want me to pack something for lunch for you?" Layla asked as she stuffed a few books and her pencil case into her bag.

"You mean that rabbit food you eat?" Warren said with a snort. "I'll buy my lunch, thanks anyway," he added, sitting up.

He pulled his pants on, smirking when he saw Layla staring at his chest.

"Like what you see, hippie?" Warren asked, laughing when she went bright red.

Grabbing her clothes for the day, Layla hurried out of the room without a word. Chuckling, Warren pulled his shirt over his head and shrugged his jacket on. Hearing footsteps approaching the room, he frowned. The shower was running, so that meant Layla was still in the bathroom. Making a quick decision, Warren stepped into Layla's wardrobe, carefully closing the door behind him. He couldn't risk going out the window and getting stuck on the roof, and there was no way in hell he was going to hide under Layla's bed.

The slats in the wardrobe doors allowed him to see in her room still, and some part of him was hoping that Layla had just forgotten something. The other part of him doubted that he'd be able to control himself if it was her Great Aunt, especially after the shouting match she and Layla had had the night before.

Greta stepped into Layla's room quietly, listening intently for the shower. She made her way over to the jewellery box sitting on the dresser, remembering a set of pearl earrings that had been there last time she'd stolen something. They were small pearls, but they were still pearls, and the girl had no right owning things like that. The brooch Greta had taken had been adored by all of her friends, although Frieda had still seemed suspicious about its sudden appearance. _Especially after those stupid questions the girl had asked, all but accusing her of stealing the stupid thing! She had, of course, but that didn't mean a thing. She'd never had things like this when she was the girl's age, so why shouldn't she take them? Not having things builds character, after all_.

"Where are you?" Greta murmured, picking through the mess of earring hooks and sharp studs.

The house seemed much quieter, and that set alarm bells off in Greta's mind, making her realise that Layla was probably out of the shower. She left the room quickly, figuring that she'd come back for the pearls later. It was a shame, because she'd wanted to wear them to her bridge game this morning.

Layla walked into her room, oblivious to what had occurred moments ago in her room. She rubbed at her wet hair with her towel quickly, wondering where Warren had gone. Walking to the window, she looked outside only to find that he wasn't there. A creak behind her made her spin around quickly, eyes wide.

"Don't do that!" she hissed at Warren.

"Your Great Aunt was just in here. She was going through your jewellery box. I don't think she took anything," Warren replied.

Frowning, Layla went to her dresser, looking at the jewellery quickly, trying to determine whether it was all there or not. Seeing that everything was still in her possession, she grinned slightly. The secret compartment had worked. The jewellery box was wooden, and it had only taken a small amount of power to fashion a small drawer in the bottom. She'd placed the expensive items in there, and another bit of power had the drawer sealing itself into the wood without a trace. Without her power, no one would be able to open it.

"Everything still there?" Warren asked quietly.

She nodded in response, smiling at him. "It's safe. Come on, let's get you out of here before my Great Aunt tries to come in again."

Warren had one leg in and out of the window when they heard the front door slam. Pulling him inside quickly, Layla winced as they both fell back and he landed on her body. Moments later, she heard her Great Aunt's car pulling out of the driveway. Standing up, Layla brushed herself off and grinned at Warren.

"Come on, we'd better get going before we're late," she said, taking his hand and leading him out of the room.

Once she had packed lunch, Layla and Warren left for the bus. The driver raised his eyebrows on seeing them together, but shut the door behind them without a word. Warren guided her to the back seat, muttering about nosy drivers.

...

Greta hummed to herself as she headed up to Layla's room. The hammer was heavy in her hand, but she held it firmly so it wouldn't slip. There was the only way to get what she wanted, and she'd never been one to let personal feelings - or relatives - get in the way.

Opening the door, she was silent as she slipped into the room, the hammer raised high. It was over in a moment, the heavy metal head falling and smashing the fragile structure with ease.

Layla's wooden jewellery box lay in pieces, and Greta picked up the pearl earrings. Seeing that there were other things of value in the pieces of wood, she grabbed those too. She smiled to herself, leaving the room, humming once more.

The closest pawn shop was only a few minutes away, but she drove across town to the seediest and most cheap looking shop in Maxville.

The store owner bought the items for a much cheaper price than they were worth, but the money didn't matter to Greta. Layla had tried to kill her, she knew she had, despite the overwhelming evidence attesting to her innocence. She would pay.

...

Layla glanced at her watch. She had ten minutes before she had to get to work. Beside her, Craig frowned slightly. She was posing as his daughter, and they were about to put in the lotto numbers. Layla had already filled in the sheet and put it in his wallet, making sure he wouldn't see the numbers.

He really didn't know why she was being so paranoid, it wasn't like she was really going to win anything. Still, he'd promised to put the numbers in if she beat him at Save the Citizen, so here they were.

"Can I help you?" the news agency man drawled, barely glancing up from his paper.

"I'd like to put these lotto numbers in, please," Craig replied, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket.

He opened it, frowning when he didn't see the slip of paper in his wallet.

"Mum put in the back pocket, Daddy," Layla said, giggling at him.

"Oh, right," he muttered quickly, finding the paper and handing it to the guy behind the counter.

The man didn't seem interested in their interaction, and processed the paper quickly, asking for the payment.

Craig handed over the notes, took the change, and then left with Layla. Once they were outside and out of the line of sight of non-supers, Craig changed back to his normal form, and adjusted his checkered shirt before handing Layla the lotto ticket.

"Did he see the numbers?" Warren asked, walking over to them.

"No, I didn't. Thanks for acting like I'm not even here," Craig muttered, rolling his eyes. "Hey, I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay Layla?"

"Sure. Thanks, Craig. I'll sit with you and the guys at lunch, okay?" she said sweetly.

He nodded in response, leaving without a word to Warren.

"Why are you going to sit with **him **tomorrow?"

"Because I don't want to make him feel as if I just used him. Besides, we agreed that he could be a permanent marker, and I want to collect all of the pretty colours for myself," Layla said, laughing.

"_The pretty colours_?" Warren echoed, shaking his head at her. "What colour am I meant to be then?"

"Red, of course. What other colour would you be?"

"Black?"

"Oh, no, that's definitely **my** colour," she said with a sour laugh. "Come on, I've got five minutes to get to the Mayor's office. Want to walk me to work?"

Warren grinned at her and put an arm around her waist. "Sure, and I'll walk you home too. Come on, or you're going to be late."

Layla nodded, and they walked down to the Mayor's office quickly.

...

"So how are you going with _The Monster_, Layla?"

"Fine, thank you, Stephanie," she replied as she entered the staff area.

"Oh, that's really great, you know. You're the fourth person to try and get through it," Stephanie said with a laugh that wasn't from any amusement that Layla perceived. "Well, good luck," she said sweetly, returning to her desk.

Layla frowned slightly, having a bad feeling about the fake tone in her voice. She headed to where the small windowless office was that held _The Monster_. As she approached, she could see that the chair that had been placed in front of the door had been moved. Layla quickened her pace without trying to look as though she was rushing, and on reaching the small office, she stilled, frozen in front of the windowed door. Inside the room, papers were strewn about everywhere, as if a sudden force from the overhead ceiling fan had managed to displace every single sheet.

"Oh, Layla, I'm so sorry. I didn't think anyone would be as malicious as this," Ms. Peace said behind her, resting her hand on Layla's shoulder gently.

Layla could feel a sensation in her head - different to Ms. Peace's itching compulsions - and she gathered that someone in the office was trying to read her thoughts or emotions. She took a deep breath, working on calming herself down.

"It's fine, Ms. Peace. I didn't put anything on the papers to keep them down, so it's essentially my fault," she said, giving her the best shit-eating grin she could manage.

"Are you sure? I doubt the Mayor would condone this sort of sabotage and backstabbing among his staff," she replied, her voice raising as she looked at her colleagues.

"I'm sure. Thank you, Ms. Peace. I suppose I'd better start again," Layla said, opening the door.

She didn't look overly convinced, but Ms. Peace nodded and returned to her desk, glaring at Stephanie along the way. The chair that had been outside of the office was now sitting inside and innocent by the doorframe, her tray still on top of the cushion.

Sighing at the mess that was around her, Layla began to pick up the papers and resort them into piles.

...

On Friday morning, Layla sat in English for Heroes, trying not to tap out her nerves about her essay grade. She would not allow herself to think of the second essay that was sitting in her bag, the one that had a detailed account of the Incredible Genius' reasons for kidnapping the Dean of the University of Maxville, and why he'd failed in getting what he wanted.

The teacher walked along the aisles, handing out small grade cards, smiling at students here and there.

Looking at her grade card, Layla wasn't surprised to see that she had failed. She'd received a mark of 11 out of 50. The notes read that her argument was sound, yet she had answered the question completely wrong, and therefore, couldn't pass.

She smiled to herself, and listened as the teacher outlined some general responses to the assignment that had been wrong. Not all of the students had come to Layla's conclusion, and had passed the assignment without a qualm. Some of these students were simply too dense to realise that they were being tested, and did no more and no less than what was required to pass. A few others needed to pass in order to feel good about themselves, and the last of the group had simply seen the assignment as nothing more than an English assignment that they needed to pass, and done exactly that.

Layla did notice that a very small number had failed along with her as well. Probably four or five out of the entire class of thirty students, if their expressions were anything to go by. The teacher called out six names - Layla's included - in order to give them a new assignment to make up the grade. This assignment was one about how good Heroes were, rather than villains, making it more than obvious that the assignments were geared towards determining a student's place on the hero-villain line. After writing down the essay question, Layla quickly wrote down the other five names, planning on checking Ethan's Save the Citizen book to see if they'd requested to fight against her and Warren. At least she definitely knew some people who might be permanent markers.

...

Zach couldn't help but frown as he watched Warren and Layla interact over lunch, which was difficult considering they were sitting at different tables. Layla had gone to sit with Craig, Larry, Adam, and a few of their friends today, but Warren didn't seem to mind as much this time around. As they weren't talking, it was difficult for him to pinpoint what was wrong, but he could tell that there was_something_ in their postures and eyes that just didn't seem right. He hadn't been able to eat his lunch yet, sensing that something was about to happen.

He was right, and within minutes of sitting down at lunch (his back facing Magenta and Will, both of whom seemed to think that saliva was an essential staple in their diet), Warren stood up without a word of warning. Over at her other table, Layla simply took a bite from one of her carrot sticks, acting as if nothing was out of the norm.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ethan asked, looking up at Warren with a frown.

Zach nudged his friend quickly, shutting him up, and ignoring Ethan's confused look. Warren didn't reply, leaving them and walking straight towards Will and Magenta. The cafeteria went silent as he did so, the students eager for a fight.

Will stood up when he realised that Warren was heading towards him, staring for a moment, as if he couldn't quite believe why his former best friend looked so murderous. Without giving so much as a warning, Warren took a swing. Will, still standing there stupidly, was consequently punched in the jaw, his neck cracking with the motion.

Warren's arms lit up, and Will's eyes widened. He dodged the fireball that was sent at him, trying to move towards Warren to hit him back and defend himself.

"Why are you doing this?" Will asked.

"_Why_? You're asking me **why**, Stronghold?" Warren asked incredulously. "You cheated on Layla, you little prick,_that's_ why."

Will didn't reply, but his cheeks tinged brightly. Around them, a group had gathered, and were watching intently. Will took a swing at Warren, but he dodged him, faster and lighter on his feet than anyone would have guessed possible. His arms lit up once more, and the heat was incredible, but Will readied himself to land a punch. He fought past the heat, and his fist connected hard against Warren's chest. Flying through the air, Warren passed through the very same place that he had the year before. This year, however, Will was in control of his power, and hit far harder than he had then. Warren went through Coach Boomer's office, flew through Mr. Medulla's office lab, heard Mr. Boy's squeak of fear echoing from his office, and then came to a stop all the way down at Principal Powers' office.

For a moment the office was filled with silence as Principal Powers stared down at Warren's fallen form. Cheering from the cafeteria could be heard, and her lips thinned slightly. She turned into a comet and shot through the fractured walls to the cafeteria. The cheering and noise died down when she arrived and landed in her human form.

"Mr. Stronghold, come with me _this instant_," Principal Powers said sternly.

Will pulled away from Magenta reluctantly, his grin fading on seeing the expression on the Principal's face.

"Warren Peace was the one who started it, Principal Powers," Magenta said quickly.

"That was no reason for Mr. Stronghold to end it. **Now**, Mr. Stronghold," she said sternly, indicating to the cafeteria doors.

Nodding, Will left with Principal Powers quickly. The noise returned to the cafeteria soon after they had left, the mess cleared up almost immediately.

"Well, that was an interesting lunchtime show," Ethan said, turning to sit down again.

"Yeah, although, I'm surprised Warren let himself get punched like that," Zach murmured, sitting next to his friend.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.

"He could have easily dodged Will's hit, but he took it. I'm telling you, it was like he wanted to be hit, dude."

"Hey, where's Layla?"

Zach frowned when he realised that Layla was nowhere to be seen.

When Warren had first punched Will, Layla had slipped out of the cafeteria. She'd run straight up to Principal Powers' office, and within a minute or two, the door was opened by Warren. He grinned at her, his arms already full of files. She checked that the hallway was clear and stepped inside.

"Is that all of them?" she asked, opening her school bag.

"Yeah, it's all of the files from her filing cabinet. Quick, before she comes back," he said.

Layla nodded, turning to leave. Then she looked at him with a grin. "How'd it feel, punching him?"

"Fucking _fantastic_," Warren said, grinning broadly.

With a small laugh, Layla hurried away, her bag bulging. Mere seconds after she'd turned the corner, Principal Powers came into view with Will.

"You weren't trying to escape punishment, were you, Mr. Peace?"

"No, ma'am, or else I would have left the moment you did," Warren replied, trying not to grin.

Her lips twitched slightly, but she tampered the response down and glared at both of them.

"A year after your last fight and you've destroyed the cafeteria again? Was it some reunion thing that no one informed me about?" Principal Powers asked, looking between them.

They were both silent, and with a heavy sigh, she led them to the Detention Room.

...

Warren avoided the gaze of his mother. He already knew what he would see, since he'd already seen it a year ago. Disappointment, disgust, and a look conveying everything she wasn't saying: that he was his father's son, that she thought she'd raised him better, that she blamed herself, and that he should know better.

Last year, he'd felt every piece of that Look, and had felt properly ashamed of what he'd done and the pain he'd caused his mother. This year, things had changed. He did feel a slight twinge of guilt that he'd put his mother through this again, but he couldn't bring himself to regret what he'd done. He'd done it for two reasons, one to hit Will, and the second to get the files from Principal Powers' office. Both of those reasons were because of Layla, and in regards to her, Warren simply couldn't bring himself to be sorry. He avoided his mother's gaze because he was sure that she would see his lack of remorse in an instant.

"You're grounded for a week, Warren. Apart from school, work, and escorting Layla to her house, you're not to leave. That means no staying over at her home for the night," she added.

Warren nodded briefly, his gaze still on the table in front of him.

"Please, just go to your room. I can't bring myself to look at you right now," she said, finishing her monologue with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mum. I couldn't help myself though; he cheated on Layla, and he's going around sucking face with Magenta and making everyone sick. I had more people congratulate me on decking him today than I can count. I'm not saying that it's a good thing, of course, but I'm saying that I can't be sorry for what I did. I defended her, and I think that's good, even if I did go about it the wrong way. But really, I don't think it would have had the same impact if I wrote Stronghold a _note_."

She laughed, unable to help herself at the thought of her son writing someone a sternly-worded note to defend Layla's honour. The laughter also relieved some of the tension she'd been feeling, and she sighed again, finally able to look at her son.

"Did Layla get home all right after you finished work?"

"Yes, Mum, she got to her Great Aunt's house fine."

There was something in his tone that made her frown, and she prompted him to continue.

"Her Great Aunt stole her mother's jewellery. She went right ahead and broke the wooden box it was kept in, and didn't even try to hide the evidence or anything. Layla can't find the jewellery, and with the extra cash her Great Aunt was waving around, she thinks she might have sold her mother's things."

"That's awful. Were the items expensive?"

"Most were of sentimental value, but some could've fetched a hefty price tag, apparently. Not really into jewellery myself, so I can't tell, but I know there were a pair of pearl earrings, and a white gold chain necklace."

"What's Layla planning on doing? She has the day off work tomorrow, is she going to look around for them?"

Warren shook his head briefly. "No, I don't think so. She'd be too upset to find them for sale in some store when they're all that her mother left to her."

Ms. Peace frowned, but decided that it probably would be overly emotional to try and find stolen jewellery items of that sort of sentimental value. _Imagine if she didn't find them at all, or imagine if she did? What would she do then? Demand that they be returned? It wasn't likely that the store owner would just hand them over to her_.

"I'm beat, I'm going to bed now. Night, Mum," Warren said, kissing the top of her head as he walked past.

"Night," she called.

She'd become so distracted by Layla's misfortune that she forgot she was disappointed in Warren for using his fists first. Although, she'd be lying if she said that she didn't agree with his reasoning in some part of her mind. Of course, she would never admit that out loud. She had no desire to see her son go through life thinking that this sort of behaviour was appropriate. Sighing to herself, she went to her bedroom to sleep, silently hoping that she'd raised Warren right.

...

End of the seventeenth chapter.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it!


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Eighteen

...

"When I said you were grounded, this isn't what I meant could happen, Warren," his mother said with a heavy sigh.

From their seats at the table, Zach and Ethan both grinned guiltily.

"Sorry, Ms. Peace. We didn't think it would be a problem, since Warren's not technically leaving the house," Layla said, attempting a quick smile.

"_Technically,_ being grounded means that he's not meant to see friends outside of school or work," she replied, her eyebrow raised slightly.

"Even if this is for school?" Layla asked.

She sighed heavily in response, throwing her arms up and leaving the room.

"You've really got to teach me how to do that," Warren muttered once his mother was out of earshot.

Layla just grinned and shook her head at him before turning back to her homework.

...

"Morning, Warren," Layla said, smiling at him as he sat beside her on the bus.

"It's a Monday, what's so good about it, hippie?" he muttered, his eyes closing.

"Well, since you were grounded because of me, I wanted to make up for it. _So_..." she trailed off as she opened her bag, rifling through it to find what she was looking for.

Warren's nose recognised the smell moments before he registered exactly what it was, and he was already halfway to sitting up properly when he opened his eyes.

"I bought you chocolate covered coffee beans," Layla said, grinning at his expression. "And a calendar," she added, passing him the small block of paper. "I told you I'd buy you coffee and a calendar, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," he agreed, nodding, his eyes solely on the paper bag.

He took the offered bag of chocolate coffee beans quickly, opening it and breathing in deeply, savouring the sweet and bitter scents. His mouth watered in anticipation, and it took a lot of willpower to not just tip the bag back into his mouth and chew.

"Thanks, hippie," Warren said, grinning at her.

Looking immensely pleased at his response, she grinned in return, then gestured to the bag. "Don't let me hold you up."

He nodded, taking a small handful, dropping a few of the beans into his mouth. The taste overwhelmed him in the best way possible, and Warren knew that whatever punishment he'd received for getting into a fistfight with Stronghold was well worth the chocolate covered caffeine. It was like some heavenly drops of coffee and chocolate had just melted in his mouth. Warren took another mouthful and closed his eyes, deciding to lose himself to his sense of taste and not think until they reached Sky High.

It took him a few moments to realise that someone had moved to the back seat and was sitting next to Layla. She'd edged closer to Warren slightly, and on feeling her body pressing next to his, he finally opened his eyes. Seeing the little runt sitting next to Layla, he glared, setting his bag of heaven aside carefully.

"What're you doing back here?" he growled at the blonde little _boy_.

The boy blanched slightly, but didn't seem to get the hint, and stayed where he was. "I was just ... I mean, I wanted to know," he babbled, then finally caught himself and turned to look at Layla properly. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out on a date with me sometime?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, her heart seemed to be pounding in her ears and chest, and she'd suddenly forgotten how to breathe and talk.

"Now, I don't see why Layla would want to do that when she's already dating me," Warren remarked, his tone completely casual as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

If it weren't for the fact that his body temperature seemed to rise a few degrees, Layla could have been fooled by his tone herself. They weren't dating - and still had yet to discuss any of the heated kisses they'd had - and there was an ache in her chest at the thought. _But then_, she reasoned, _he could have realised how uncomfortable she felt, and was just making stuff up to get the kid to go_.

"She ... I mean, you are?" the boy asked, staring at her.

Layla doubted that a nod would suffice. Around them, people were watching the interaction, their gazes silent but intent. She wondered if they'd make a sound if the bus went off the edge of the freeway right now.

"Yes, I'm dating Warren," Layla said, her voice clearer than she thought it would be.

Warren smirked at the runt, and pulled Layla onto his lap, his hands at her waist as he kissed her hotly. As they kissed, his lips burning against hers, his hands close to flaming, and her own body responding in kind, Layla suddenly began appreciate the taste of coffee.

Oblivious to either of them, the boy left, his eyes wide and face pale. He was just glad that Warren hadn't taken offence to him hitting on his girlfriend and roasted him alive!

Noise began immediately, and as the bus dropped off the unfinished road, their gossiping whispers were replaced by screams at the sudden change in altitude.

Layla - who hadn't been strapped on to a seat, and was only sitting now due to Warren's grip on her hips and gravity - pulled away from the kiss, feeling lightheaded.

"Thanks, Warren. You didn't have to do that; I could have let him down," she said, her cheeks red.

"I know I didn't; I wanted him - and everyone else, for that matter - to know that you're mine," Warren said, his voice husky.

"Yours?" she echoed, unable to feel degraded or insulted at his choice of words. She liked the idea of being his, and only his. So long as he was _only hers_. "You're mine too, right?" Layla asked, looking at him.

He grinned and nodded, moving to kiss her again. She let him kiss her for a moment, pulling away again.

"Ask me properly then," she said in his ear.

"Go out with me, hippie?" Warren asked.

"You want to go out with me, but you won't even call me by my name?" Layla asked, frowning briefly.

"No, because every time I say your name, it comes out like this, _Layla_," he said, and she knew that the two small syllables of her name had _never_ sounded so sinful, nor so full of promise and desire before.

She blushed as his voice and her name seemed to travel across her skin, goosebumps following, and a trail of heat burning inside her in their wake. The lines of heat converged in her stomach, tightly wound coils of desire that would spring open if he ever said her name like that again.

"See what I mean?" Warren asked, smirking at her.

"Does the same thing happen to you if I say your name?"

"You could try it, but I'm barely controlling the fire now. Maybe wait until we've landed," he said with a grin.

Grinning back at him, Layla moved slightly, kissing him again. This kiss was softer than any before, like petals brushing against his lips.

Warren held himself back from deepening the kiss, wanting nothing more than to ravish her mouth with his; he wanted her to burn the way he did. As if she'd read his mind, her kiss became more heated. He realised then that she was like a flower, opening up for the first time, petals slowly unfurling to reveal the beauty inside. (_If anyone was reading his thoughts right now, he'd seriously have to kill them or something_.)

A tingling thought in the back of his mind made it's way to the front. _Can't wait to make love to her_. Which was ridiculous, of course. Warren Peace did not _make love_. He fucked, took, devoured, had sex, and he was not sweet or cute or soft. But Layla kind of made him want to be; she deserved to be treated better than he'd treated his past girlfriends.

_Oh, he sounded pussy whipped already. Next thing he knew, he'd be holding her books and walking her to class_. He barely repressed a shudder at the thought. _Although, if anyone was looking to hurt him in any way, they'd go for Layla first, and where better to hurt someone than in a crowded school where no one would stand out_? He'd better walk with her.

Layla slid off Warren's lap gently, a belt strapping her into the seat immediately. Her cheeks were red, her lips were swollen, and she was fairly sure that she'd stolen some of Warren's fire, because her body felt like it was burning from her head to her toes. She saw Sky High come into view, and smiled, turning to Warren and putting her lips close to his ear.

"Best Monday morning _ever_," she said, laughing softly against his skin.

He didn't have time to reply, because the bus landed, and they quickly concentrated on keeping their breakfast down. The driver still hadn't learnt how to land smoothly, and today was no exception. As usual, Warren waited for Layla to get off the bus first, but this time, instead of parting ways, he started to walk with her to class.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a slight frown.

"Walking you to your first class," Warren replied briefly.

"I can see that, but why? You've never walked with me before," Layla pointed out.

"It's normally what guys do for their girlfriends," he said, shrugging.

She smiled slightly at the term, but then her smile slipped and she shook her head. "You don't have to walk me, Warren. And let's face it: we're not exactly normal compared to other people and their relationships."

(_Damn, if her saying his name didn't make him want to back her against the closest wall and kiss her until she was begging for him_.)

"Well, that's true," he said with a grin. "You sure you'll be able to get to class okay on your own?"

"Unlike the previous two years?" she pointed out, her eyebrow raised at him.

"All right, but if anyone says or does anything, you tell me and I'll roast them."

Layla rolled her eyes at him, but grinned slightly. She kissed him, pulling away before they got too involved, and hurried to homeroom. Warren waited for a moment before going to the junior's homeroom.

...

Zach watched them, scrutinising every look, every motion, everything they weren't saying and everything they were saying.

"Are you all right, Zach?" Layla asked, frowning at him briefly.

He started, surprised at her question. "Yeah, fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you've got a bowl of ravioli in front of you - which you _usually_ devour in minutes - and you haven't had a bite yet," she replied, looking at his food pointedly.

"What's up, glow stick?" Warren prompted when Zach didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Heard a rumour that you two are dating. Well, not a rumour, exactly, because Johnny boy catches the same bus as you two, and he said that Warren said that you were dating, and you agreed, and then spent the rest of the trip sucking face," Zach rambled.

"We did not _suck face_," Layla said, her expression a mix between a glare and frown. "We kissed, and it was way more appropriate than anything other people - who shall remain nameless - do at lunch!" she said, rolling her eyes.

"So you _are_ dating then?" Ethan asked, looking between the two.

Warren nodded in response.

"Then why aren't you acting all mushy and stuff? Don't you like each other? Is this just a ruse to make everyone leave you alone?" Zach asked, his tone demanding answers.

Layla snorted a laugh. "When have you _ever_ seen Warren be _mushy and stuff_?"

"She's got a point there," Ethan said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Zach opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Okay, fine. What about you then? I've seen you be mushy heaps of times!" he said, looking at Layla.

She shrugged slightly. "I don't need to be mushy to communicate with Warren. Although, if I really wanted to, I'm sure I could dredge up an appropriate amount of mush. I'd start with _cutie_, and maybe evolve into _cutie-pie_, and then I could settle on _honey-bun_," Layla said, her voice serious but the light in her eyes betrayed her.

Warren's hands lit up, and his jaw clenched tightly. Across from them, Ethan and Zach were laughing behind closed fists.

"I'm joking. _Breathe_, there you go," she said, patting his extinguished hand softly. "Hmm, maybe I should call you _hottie_ instead," Layla muttered, blowing onto her palm.

"No nicknames. _Ever_," Warren growled, his gaze fixated on the two boys across from them.

Ethan's laughter stopped immediately, and Zach went quiet a moment later, but still grinned brightly.

"Are you all right?" Warren asked, looking at Layla's tender hand.

"It's fine, I promise. I told you, I've done worse with poisonous plants," she said, rolling her eyes at his concern.

"Well, there's the mush you wanted," Ethan muttered to Zach quietly.

He nodded in agreement, grinning again.

"Ethan? Do you mind if I borrow the book for Save the Citizen?" Layla asked when she'd looked up from her hand.

"Not at all. I'll go get it for you now," Ethan said, leaving before anyone could stop him.

"Planning the next game a bit early, aren't you?" Zach asked, frowning.

"Something like that," Layla said with a noncommittal sound.

"What are you doing, Lay?" he asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, glow worm," Warren said, glaring at him.

"It's all right, Warren. He's asking a perfectly legitimate question. But you won't get an answer until later. You're not quite ready for the truth, Zach. Trust me on this," Layla said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"It's something ... E-V-I-L, isn't it?" he whispered, working hard to keep his thoughts under control. _Who knew who Donny the mind-reader was listening to_?

Warren leant forward, his eyebrow raised slightly. "Everyone here can spell, glow worm," he whispered, mocking him. "Well, maybe not everyone," he amended with a grin.

Zach's face broke out into a grin when neither one denied it, and he looked at Layla. "I could be ready for the truth, Layla. How do you know I'm not?"

She shrugged briefly, not knowing how nor wanting to explain the vines under her skin, how they were telling her to wait, how she just seemed to _know_ who was evil and who wasn't. Layla hadn't lied when she'd told Warren about girls talking incessantly when they were in the bathroom, she just hadn't mentioned the fact that the vines under her skin had started to vibrate intensely when Wendy Walker had entered the bathroom, and she'd almost screamed in pain at the sensation. The school files she'd read only yesterday made a lot of sense, and she'd found herself looking at a lot of people very differently over the course of the day.

"Hey, Layla. Here's the book for you. Did I miss something?" Ethan asked, looking between the three of them with a frown.

"No, Warren was just threatening Zach to roast him for trying to think of another nickname for him," Layla lied easily.

"Yeah, I was thinking of the Human Cigarette... What? He burns, and has the potential to kill, it could work," Zach muttered when they all looked at him oddly.

"Let me reiterate my earlier threat: if you so much as _think_ of a nickname to call me by, I will not only roast you, I'll take so long to do it that you'll **beg** for death. Got it?" Warren growled, glaring at Zach.

"Got it!" Ethan said, his eyes wide in fear.

Zach just shook his head, grinning again.

"Well, that's interesting," Layla murmured to herself.

Her voice was quiet enough that she hardly heard her own voice, but Warren must have heard her, because he stopped glaring at Zach and looked to her curiously.

Layla didn't answer his unspoken question, continuing to flick through the pages of the book. It was very interesting to see that every single person she knew was evil - whether through her own response to them, or their results from their assignment - had not asked to compete against her and Warren. She knew that there was probably a reason for it, and she wondered what would happen if she challenged Wendy to participate in Save the Citizen.

When he realised that Layla wasn't going to reply, Warren simply turned back to his lunch. He'd ask her later when they weren't surrounded by people who could be listening to everything they were saying and thinking.

Zach finally realised that he wasn't going to get any answers from either them, and decided to eat his lunch before it went cold.

...

Layla arrived at work to find the room to _The Monster_ locked, and through the small window on the door she could see that her work from Friday evening was still on the seat, untouched and neatly in place. After everyone had left on Friday, Ms. Peace had pulled Layla aside to give her a key to the room. She'd convinced the Mayor that a key was necessary, as it probably wasn't the best idea to keep the room unlocked due to the type of files that were kept in the filing cabinet, especially with the upcoming election. The opposition would pay good money to find out exactly what the Mayor and his party had spent on their various holidays and "conferences" in the Bahamas. The Mayor had agreed immediately, handing her the key to make a copy.

Ms. Peace smiled briefly over at Layla, seeing the relief on the poor girl's face on finding the door still locked and her work tidy. She'd watched as Layla had put a heavy paperweight on the pile of paper, to ensure nothing would happen just in case the ceiling fan mysteriously turned on by itself again, despite being inside of a locked room. There had been a fierce determination in her eyes, and a small amount of sadness at the thought of possibly finding everything a mess again. Ms. Peace was happy that it was still all in place.

Stepping into the room, Layla closed the door behind her and set to work. After resorting all of the papers last week, she was almost finished the second drawer. A few papers had been placed on her tray that she'd left outside last week, and she added those to the growing piles of paperwork before opening the second drawer and pulling out a batch of files to sort.

In what felt like mere minutes, two hours had passed, and Ms. Peace knocked on the door to inform Layla that it was time for her break. Thanking her quickly, Layla stood and left to go with her to the staff room.

...

By the time her shift finished at 8pm, Layla had finished sorting the third and final drawer of _The Monster_. The paperwork that rested on the chair was sorted alphabetically, and she was close to finishing the relabelling of the files in the drawers. Ms. Peace said how impressed she was, watching as Layla locked the door to the small room, and tucked the key away in her bag.

"When you're finished with _The Monster_, you'll be able to start the photocopying requests at the end of the day. I've been doing them for you so far, because taming _The Monster_ and getting it under control is far more important. With the election coming up soon, we'll have a lot of journalists asking for information about things we've done over the Mayor's electoral term, and we'll need to find them quickly."

"Do you think I should make a directory of sorts then, so everyone can find it without messing up _The Monster_ again?" Layla asked.

"That's a good idea. Very good initiative," she replied with a smile.

Layla smiled brightly at the praise.

"Hey, hippie. Ready to go?" Warren asked, pushing himself off the wall by the door when his mother and Layla exited the building.

"Hi," she said with a bright smile, moving to kiss him.

He hesitantly kissed her back, his hands on her hips gently.

"So you two are finally dating then?" Warren's mother asked, grinning broadly at her son's expression. _It was about time; they'd been dancing around each other for more than two weeks! Or really, before that, when Warren had first agreed to go to Homecoming with Layla the year before_.

"Yes," Warren replied, nodding, his cheeks flushed.

"If my son says or does anything that you're not comfortable with, tell me and I'll sort him out. And if you hurt Warren in any way, shape, or form, I will bring you so much pain that you won't even remember what it's like to _not_ be in pain. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have no intention of hurting him," Layla promised.

"Good. Now, go before you miss your bus," she said, shooing them away.

Warren nodded, leaving before his mother could say or do anything that would embarrass him.

"Was that really necessary, hippie?" he muttered when they were seated on the bus ten minutes later.

"Kissing you, or kissing you in front of your mother?" she asked, grinning at him.

"The latter."

"It definitely was necessary. I doubt she'd appreciate hearing about our relationship from someone else. Besides, since you're still grounded, it's not like we can make out at any other time."

He shook his head at her grin. "What was interesting earlier? You were looking at Ethan's book for Save the Citizen," Warren prompted.

"Oh, that. I was reading the student files over the weekend, and most of the ones who could be permanent markers haven't asked to compete against us... Now, are you going to kiss me or not?" Layla asked, her eyes twinkling as she grinned at him.

Warren immediately pulled her onto his lap, kissing her intently, his lips burning against hers. Layla kissed him back eagerly, her hands gripping his shoulders. She wriggled slightly, and he groaned into her mouth at the sensation she caused, his hands heating up quickly. Warren hurried to move them before he burned her, his fingers splaying across her back. He pulled away reluctantly, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"What's wrong?" Layla asked, frowning briefly.

"Almost lost control," he replied, trying to keep his breathing even. "Besides, we're nearly at your stop."

Layla wondered what would happen if he did lose control, especially if _she_ could make him lose control of his tight hold on his power. She shivered in delight at the thought.

"I trust you, Warren. Besides, I know that you would never hurt me," she said, smiling at him.

Warren didn't look as confident as she did, but then the bus came to a stop and they hurried to get off, Layla thanking the driver.

"You sure you can't stay over? I'll make it worth your while," Layla cajoled.

Her words set him alight instantly, and Warren struggled to keep his flames under control before extinguishing them. He saw the grin on Layla's face and growled, a deep sound reverberating from deep in his throat.

"_Not funny_, hippie."

"Oh, I think it was," she said with a laugh, her eyes shining. "I wasn't joking anyway," Layla added, grinning again.

Warren growled at her once more, taking her wrists in his hands, pulling her to his body, his lips devouring against hers. She seemed to melt against him, her teeth and lips ferocious. She didn't seem to mind that her wrists were being burned and bruised by his grip. When his need for oxygen made his lungs burn, Warren pulled away, licking his lips. Layla grinned up at him, her lips swollen and dark from the various nips and bites he'd made on the soft flesh.

"If I don't go now, I'm not going to leave," he muttered, but couldn't bring himself to move.

"You probably should go now then," she agreed breathlessly.

Despite both of their words, Warren and Layla began kissing again, his hands finally letting go of her wrists. Moments later, her arms were wrapped around his neck, and his hands were resting against the small of her back. Their bodies were pressed against each other, and he couldn't hide his response to her body, kisses, or the little moans she was making at his ministrations. Again, it was only a need for oxygen that had them pulling apart, and Warren forced himself to step back away from the temptation of her.

"See you tomorrow, Warren," she said, grinning.

Layla turned and walked away before he could settle his mind down enough to answer her. He lingered for a moment, watching the movement of her hips as she walked, before turning and leaving too. As he walked back to the bus stop, Warren noticed that despite the late hour, the flowers in the houses sculpted gardens had all bloomed.

...

End of the eighteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Nineteen

...

Layla organised the first pile of "A" papers into alphabetical order, and then by date. It was time consuming, but it would make it easier to locate documents and file new ones later. As she went through the papers, she couldn't help but see the information on them. _AAA Contractors_ had a lot of business through the council, some papers requesting permission to build new buildings, while others were for the inclusion or expansion of Secret Sanctums in houses.

Double taking, Layla read the document properly. The property owner wasn't named, but the super's alter ego name and address was listed. Layla recognised the names and address easily - the house belonged to the Stronghold's. Apparently, they'd expanded their Secret Sanctum just in time for Christmas. She vaguely remembered Will saying something about getting a new plasma TV for his Xbox. Well, now knew why she'd never seen the TV in his room.

Layla sorted through the pile at a faster pace, intent on finding what else this company had done. She was surprised to find that most of that pile were for the contractors. There were papers dating back more than three years. Layla was shocked that _The Monster_ hadn't been locked up before this. _If a super villain had access to this sort of information, then they'd know the addresses for every superhero in town! And now _**_she_**_ had access to this information_...

A knock at the door startled Layla and she looked over to see Ms. Peace there. Hurrying to think of something else - _her mother's desire to build a house closer to the veterinary practice across town _- Layla opened the door with a brief smile.

"Ready for your break, Layla?"

She nodded, grabbing her water bottle and sandwich from her bag.

"You'll have to set an alarm starting next week," Ms. Peace said, grinning briefly. "I'm only meant to be working until 6pm, so you'll have the place to yourself for two hours. I trust that you won't slack off?"

"Oh, I definitely won't do that," Layla promised.

"I'm glad. But then, we'll be able to see that the next day if the photocopying's not done," she said with another grin. "Now, that reminds me. You shouldn't get any photocopying requests next Thursday because we have a staff outing on the Friday. To help build trust and teamwork, or something ridiculous like that. You won't need to attend, so you get the afternoon off," she said, sounding envious. "Just remember to put your timesheet in on Thursday, or you'll have to come in on your day off."

Layla nodded, making a mental note to write it in her diary. She was sure she'd forget otherwise.

They finished the rest of their break in a comfortable silence, and after thanking Ms. Peace for keeping her company, Layla hurried back to _The Monster_.

When she was certain that Ms. Peace wasn't in sight or trying to pick at her thoughts, Layla grabbed her phone and took pictures of a few documents. She put it away within minutes, worried that she'd been seen. If she was caught taking or with those photos, she could lose her job. The files had personal information and were under strict privacy laws, which had been detailed clearly in the contract she'd had to sign before starting the job.

Waiting a few moments to ensure she hadn't been seen, Layla started to sort through the papers once more.

...

Warren greeted Layla with a preoccupied noise, his gaze intent on the food cooking in front of him. Kim had called in sick, and since the man was a workaholic, there was little to do but accept that he really was sick, and get someone who could cook good enough to replace him for the night. That role had fallen to Warren, who had walked into the kitchen at the wrong time. Mrs. Woo had set on him immediately, hurriedly giving him three orders in a rushed set of syllables. Warren had barely managed to tie his hair back and wash his hands.

He started slightly when he felt two hands on his back, relaxing briefly when he realised that Layla was simply tying his apron strings for him.

"I'll be out the back. Breathe a bit, you're looking hot under the collar there," she said with a concerned smile, leaving before he could answer.

Ten minutes later, when Mrs. Woo realised that Layla was there, she sent Warren on his break, telling him to treat his lady friend with more words than the noises he'd made for most of the night. Warren had decided that he was too tired to argue, and simply took the offered bowl of rice out to the back, Mrs. Woo taking charge of his station immediately.

"Hey, hippie," he said, his fatigue showing in every syllable and step.

"Hey. Here, sit down," she said, patting the bench next to her. "Have you had anything to drink?" she asked, rummaging in her bag to get her bottle out. "It's clean; I washed the lid when I replaced the water earlier."

Warren took the bottle and drank gratefully, not realising just how thirsty he was.

"Better?" she murmured, smiling briefly.

"Better. Thanks, hippie," he said. "Busy night?" Warren asked, hoping that she would talk and keep him awake while he ate.

Layla seemed to understand his need and began talking. "I've finished sorting and refiling all of the A's, and I'm halfway through B now. It's fairly monotonous, and might take a while to finish, but I've found something interesting, so I don't mind so much. What I found could be very useful for the future."

"What did you find?" Warren asked, frowning.

She grinned brightly, pulling her phone out of her bag and displaying the pictures. Offering the phone to him silently, Layla took his bowl and chopsticks so he could look at the information. She snuck a bite of rice in before he noticed.

It took Warren a moment to comprehend what he was looking at, but when he did, his eyes widened and he looked at her. "That's really the home address of the Human Spider?" he asked, his voice low.

"His Secret Sanctum, actually. Which is the same as his home address... It might be a good idea for easy access, but it's really ridiculous to have them at the same place, don't you think? I mean, if I was going to have one, I'd have it completely separate, that way if anyone ever found me at either my house or sanctum, they couldn't trace it back to the other place. Plus, it'd help keep the whole secret identity thing in place, and it'd be easier to separate my work and home lives," Layla said, grinning.

"What if there's an emergency and you can't get to your sanctum?" Warren asked, taking his bowl back before she ate the rest of his dinner.

"Keep a spare outfit at home for emergencies," she replied, shrugging. "It probably wouldn't be that hard to do, but it might be expensive. It really depends on where the sanctum is and where I'm living."

"So no penthouse suite then?"

"_Funny_, Warren," she drawled, rolling her eyes.

"I thought so," he said, grinning. "Are you okay to wait a bit longer? The restaurant's almost empty, so it should just be cleaning unless Mrs. Woo allows someone to come in in the next fifteen minutes," Warren said, seeing the clock above the door.

"I'll be fine," Layla said, kissing him quickly and nudging him towards the kitchen.

Warren headed to the door before he did something like lock the door and kiss her senseless.

...

"Hey, Warren? Time to wake up; we're here now," Layla said in his ear, helping his weary body stand, and guiding him down the bus aisle.

She ignored the driver's look of impatience as she helped Warren get off carefully.

"Thank you! _Jerk_," she added in a mutter as the bus sped off.

Warren knew that Layla was using her plants to help him stay upright and walking, but he was somewhere between awake and asleep, and couldn't seem to shake himself out of it to walk on his own. He felt himself being lifted into the air, and moments later, felt a mattress beneath his body. Warren fell asleep without so much as a thought for his shoes or clothes.

By the side of her Great Aunt's house, Layla call Warren's mother.

"I'm worried to send him home; I just know he'll fall asleep on the bus and you'd probably have to go pick him up from the depot," Layla said.

"You're not doing this to spend time with him, are you? Warren's grounded for a reason, Layla, and while I'm happy that you two are dating now, it doesn't mean that you can do this to try and deceive me," Ms. Peace replied.

Feeling a pricking sensation in her head, Layla let her manipulate her emotions. She told the absolute truth: how tired Warren was on the bus, how she'd used her powers to help get him off the bus and down the street, how he was too tired to even talk to her after his shift at _The Paper Lantern_. There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone, and the prickling sensation left Layla's mind a moment later, the need to tell the truth fading.

"Fine. But you call me if anything happens. I'll come and pick him up, no questions asked, all right?"

"All right. Thank you, Ms. Peace. I'll see you tomorrow at work. Good night," Layla said.

Warren's mother returned the sentiment, and they hung up from the call. Heading to the front door, Layla unlocked the deadbolt and handle, using a small vine to unlatch the chain. She stepped inside, locking it all again behind her.

Greta was nowhere to be seen, but she was grateful for that. Since she'd stolen her mother's jewellery, her Great Aunt had taken to wearing her flower brooch at all times, even at night, and Layla had to refrain from tying her up with her sharpest vine just to get it back.

Going upstairs to her bedroom, Layla could hear her Great Aunt snoring from down the hall. It wasn't a fake snore, but a proper and deep one, but she didn't bother looking into her room. She knew it would still be alarmed like last time, and continued to her own room.

Warren was asleep on her bed, and Layla couldn't help but smile. Her smile faded when she saw just how exhausted he was, even in sleep. Layla took his shoes off, and then used a few soft plants to lift him off the bed gently, removing Warren's pants and shirt carefully.

_She didn't want him to overheat in the night_, she reasoned with herself, even as her gaze lingered on his body.

Getting changed into her own pyjamas, Layla moved to lie beside him, the sheet wrapped around her body. Still asleep, Warren rolled over and wrapped an arm around her body.

With a brief thought, a vine slithered down from Layla's arm, across the floor and to the door. It closed and locked the door, and she turned in Warren's arms, falling asleep as the vine disappeared into the floor.

...

"Hey dude, I forgot to ask you before; since you won the bet for Save the Citizen, what dare did you want me to do?" Zach asked, frowning at Ethan over lunch.

"Why would you _ask_ about that?" Warren asked, shaking his head.

"Hey, I don't want to be remembered as the guy who didn't pay up for a bet!"

"Believe me, glow stick, you definitely won't be remembered for that," he said with a smirk, looking at Zach's bright green clothes.

"Well, what's your dare? You want me to streak down the corridor? I reckon I could keep up a glow bright enough so no one sees me," Zach mused.

"No, nothing like that," Ethan said, his cheeks darkening. "I ... I was going to dare you to ..." he began, his stammering surprising the other three at the table.

Ethan might have been shy, but he wasn't one to stammer over his words. In fact, he usually used too many words, and it was odd to see him at a loss.

"Come on, man, what is it already?" Zach asked, frowning.

Ethan looked away from him. He saw that Donny was looking directly at him and blanched slightly. Without another word he stood up, his chair scraping loudly. Ignoring the looks he received at the noise, Ethan left quickly, his bag clutched to his chest.

"What the hell was that about?" Zach asked in confusion, looking to Warren and Layla with a frown.

"No idea; I'm not a mind reader," Warren replied, shrugging.

"Donny might know though. Do you want me to ask him, or are you just going to go look for Ethan?" Layla asked pointedly, reminding Zach that his best friend had just run out of the cafeteria.

"Oh, right. See you later," he said, hurrying out.

"You have any idea what Ethan was on about, hippie?" Warren asked, glancing to her.

"Nothing substantial. We'll find out eventually, I'm sure," she said with a brief smile.

"If not, then I'm fairly sure we can threaten Donny to tell us."

"Why can't we just ask Ethan? Why bother going to a secondary source when the main source is available? Especially when the secondary source doesn't seem to like it when I threaten him," Layla said, a smirk on her face as she waved at Donny.

Donny hurried to look away from her, scowling.

"That was cruel," Warren said, unable to stop his chuckle.

Beneath the table, he squeezed her hand gently, and then they returned to their lunches quietly.

Zach found Ethan within a few minutes of searching. He'd gone to a bathroom, and was in his melted form, a mess of orange and brown on the floor.

"Hey dude, you okay?" Zach asked, moving to sit beside him on the floor. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I probably should've asked you in private, huh? I tend not to think a lot, y'know, and it's stupid, and I _know_ that, so I'm trying to be better... I'm noticing a lot more things, and I reckon I could have seen what was happening with Magenta and Will if I'd actually paid more attention, so I should've done the same with you. I should've seen that asking you about the dare was a stupid thing to do, especially in the cafeteria. Forgive me?"

The puddle beside him bubbled slightly, and in a moment, Ethan was reformed and sitting beside Zach.

"Of course. It was stupid, to get emotional like the way I did. I usually have better control than that," Ethan muttered.

"So, what's up? Is the dare really that embarrassing?" he asked with a slight grin.

Ethan sighed heavily, looking down at his shoes, his cheeks burning.

"I dare you to kiss me... Just let me explain before you say anything," he added, still not looking up. "Everyone else has been kissed and the emotion has changed their powers in some way. I'm the only one who hasn't, and I want my powers to grow. It's not a relationship or anything, because I know you like girls," he said, purposely not referring to himself, "but I just didn't want to ask in front of everyone."

Zach was silent for a moment, but Ethan seemed relieved that he hadn't bolted at his words.

"I don't know, man, a first kiss is pretty important. You sure you want it to be with me?" Zach asked, scratching his head.

Ethan looked at him now, surprised, but he nodded in response.

"All right. But we're not going to do it right now, are we? 'Cause the bathroom floor is one of the most unromantic places ever," Zach said, grinning.

"Okay. When do you want to do it then?"

"It's your dare, you can decide."

The bell rang loudly and they got off the floor, leaving the bathroom to head to class.

"You ... you won't tell anyone, will you?" Ethan asked, nervous.

"That you're my best friend and I'm doing you a favour that will earn me... oh, I don't know, a lifetime of servitude? Nah, why would I do that?" Zach asked, grinning broadly.

"Yeah, right, glow stick," Ethan muttered, but he couldn't help grinning in return.

...

Pacing around his room nervously, Ethan resisted the temptation to melt down and hide in a dark corner. He'd asked Zach to kiss him this morning before they began their study session with Warren and Layla for the weekend. His parents had gone out for the day, making him promise to call if there was an emergency.

The doorbell rang loudly, and he rushed out of his room. As he reached the bottom step, Ethan realised that he'd probably look stupid if he was standing at the door, heaving for breath, and forced himself to slow down. He took smaller steps, telling himself that his hands were only sweaty because of everything _other_ than the fact that he was going to be kissed today. The doorbell rang again, loudly and continuously. It seemed like Zach was getting impatient.

"Come on, man, I'm about to drop lunch!" Zach called.

Frowning, Ethan hurried to open the door to see Zach standing there with a large casserole dish.

"Mum insisted I bring something. What she didn't mention was that it was going to weigh the same as our car," Zach groaned, stepping inside. "Is it okay if I put this in the kitchen?"

"Y-yeah, go right ahead," Ethan said, still stunned.

"It's vegetable stew, I think. I told Mum's that Lay's a vegetarian. I think she added a whole bag of carrots and potatoes in the damn thing," Zach muttered, returning back to the hallway, wiping his hands on his shirt. "You going to close the door?" he asked, grinning.

Ethan hurried to close the door, but he couldn't seem to move from where he was standing. Zach frowned at him briefly before leading him into the lounge room by the shoulder, sitting him down.

"Freaking out about the kiss?" he asked, his frown turning into a quick grin. "I worried about it too, y'know, but I figure that it'll be good. Hey, can you tell me if I'm a good kisser or not? I was always too afraid to ask Magenta, 'cause, well, y'know, she's Magenta."

Ethan managed a brief nod.

"Hey, just relax. It's a kiss; I'm not going to hack you into pieces and add you to the stew," Zach said lightly, trying to make him smile.

"I know that," he replied, hating how small his voice sounded.

"You want me to start off?"

Confused as to what he meant, but not wanting to look inexperienced, Ethan nodded.

Zach smiled brightly, moving closer to him slowly so as not to frighten him more. He took Ethan's glasses off and put them on the coffee table.

"Just relax. You'll like it... I hope," he added, grinning.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ethan's gently. Moving his mouth slowly, Zach ran his hands along Ethan's shoulders to help him relax and encourage him to respond. _No one would ever say that Zachary Brighton backed away from a bet, and as this was Ethan's first kiss, he would make sure that it would be a damn good one_.

Ethan responded hesitantly, his eyes scrunched up tightly at first. As Zach continued his reassuring strokes along his shoulders, he relaxed, trying to enjoy the kiss. _Zach wanted to tell him if he was a good kisser, so he had to pay attention to that too_.

Pulling away when he saw an odd glow filling the room behind his closed eyes, Zach grinned guiltily when he realised that he'd powered up and was emitting a soft glow. He licked his lips quickly, but found that he didn't want to move away from Ethan just yet.

"That... That was amazing," Ethan said, his cheeks and eyes bright.

Zach grinned, and the glow he was emitting brightened. He hurried to dull it when Ethan winced in pain, but couldn't stop grinning. _He liked kissing Ethan, even more than Magenta_, he realised a moment later, the thought surprising him.

"I told you we'd find out what the dare was sooner or later," Layla said, smirking at Warren.

Going red, Zach hurried to stand up quickly when he saw Layla and Warren standing in the doorway. "Hey guys, we were just ... well, it was a dare, and I just ... I think I've got to go," he said, running out of the house before anyone could react.

"Sorry. We did knock," Layla said, looking slightly guilty.

Ethan tried not to let them see just how crushed he was at Zach's sudden departure. "It's okay. I probably should've locked the door. Could you imagine if my parents came home to see that?" he asked with a hollow laugh. "Um... I'm just going to get a drink. Be back soon," he mumbled, hurrying to the kitchen.

"We should have left them to it," Warren muttered.

"Mmm... Did you see Zach controlling his power like that? I bet he's never changed the amount of light he emits before," Layla murmured, looking out to the front door.

In the kitchen, Ethan had melted the moment his foot came into contact with the tiled floor. He'd been emotional in this state before, but never sad. He usually melted in fear or nerves, and the fact that this time he was distraught seemed to be effecting his powers. The puddle usually became a swirl of the colours of his clothes, but this time it was as clear as water. Ethan didn't know how he knew that, he just simply knew. But it didn't matter. _He'd probably just ruined his friendship with Zach. Why else would he have run out of the house like that_?

After a few minutes, Layla walked down to the kitchen quietly. She couldn't hear anything, and opened the door. A large pool of water was on the floor, and it took her a moment to realise that it was actually Ethan. She had to hold herself back from commenting on his new look, and dampened her curiosity towards it. _Was it a result of Zach's kiss, or Zach leaving? Or a combination of both_?

"I'm going to go find Zach, okay? Warren will be here if you want to talk to him," she told him, her voice soft and kind.

He didn't reply, but he shifted behind the counter to continue crying without an audience.

Leaving the kitchen, Layla went to Warren, frowning slightly. "He's in his melted form, and looks like a puddle of water," she said, and he could tell that she was resisting her own curiosity to know why Ethan was suddenly like that. "Will you stay here with him, Warren? I'm worried about both of them."

He nodded in return, glancing to the open front door. "Where do you think the glow stick's gone? Not many places to hide around here, are there?"

"There's an old paddock a few streets over, he might have gone there if he didn't want to be noticed," Layla said. "I'll text you when I've found him, okay?"

Warren nodded, and when Layla had disappeared from sight, he headed towards the kitchen. While he didn't have his mother's gift to recognise and manipulate emotions, Warren figured he'd learned enough from her over the years to be able to coax Ethan back into his human form. Maybe from there, he'd even be able to convince him to go find Layla and Zach.

Layla had been right about where Zach had gone, and found him sitting in the long grass. As the property didn't belong to anyone, no one had maintained it, and the grass was the same shade as Zach's hair, and up to her waist. After sending a quick text to Warren, she made her way through the grass to where Zach was sitting. A small burst of power had the grass surrounding them turning to a fresh green colour, and she sat beside him.

"Are you all right, Zach?"

He sighed and shook his head briefly, resting his chin on his knees.

"Want to talk about it?"

Again, he shook his head. She put an arm around his shoulders, and they sat there until Warren arrived later to tell them that his mum had come to pick them up.

...

The next day, Layla answered an incessant knocking at the front door to find Zach standing there. He looked paler than usual, as if he'd spent the night tossing and turning rather than sleeping.

"I need to ask a favour," Zach pleaded, his tone far more desperate than she'd heard before.

"Why don't you come in? My Great Aunt's over at Mrs. Olgestein's house. Something about a divorce party," Layla said, shaking her head briefly.

Nodding as if he hadn't heard more than her offer to come inside, Zach walked in, his hands tapping against his legs nervously.

"What's the favour?" she asked, realising that small talk was out of the question.

"I need to kiss you."

Her eyes widened slightly, and Zach hurried to explain.

"You know how I kissed Ethan yesterday? Well, I liked it. I mean, _liked it_-_liked it_. I liked kissing him more than I did kissing Magenta, and I thought it was weird because I've always thought about girls, and then I kiss him, and it's like my whole world was just one of those snow globes with the pieces flying everywhere. I just want to kiss you to see what I feel, to see if it's all girls, or if it's just Ethan. I don't know, really, I just ..."

His words were cut off by Layla kissing him. She pulled away after a brief response from Zach. He touched his lips with a frown, his brows burrowing as he thought intently.

"Okay, now are you going to stand here all day, or are you going to go see Ethan?" Layla asked, grinning.

Zach thanked her and left her house quickly.

"You didn't think to ask me before kissing him?" Warren muttered, coming out of the kitchen to look at her.

"I would have, but _you_ would have kissed him just to get him to shut up."

"Doubt it. But you know, all of that continuous talking reminds me of someone else," he muttered, looking at her pointedly. "You'd better clean your mouth before you kiss me," Warren added with a frown.

"You're not even going to ask if he was a better kisser than you?" Layla taunted, grinning.

"No, because the moment you've finished cleaning your mouth, I'm going to kiss you until you forget that you even saw the glow stick," Warren growled. He led her upstairs to the bathroom. "Hurry up, hippie."

Layla grinned, but still went inside, rinsing her mouth and brushing her teeth just for good measure. The moment she opened the door, Warren pulled Layla flush against his body and kissed her. She gasped in surprise at the sudden action, but her lips curved into a smile, and she kissed him back eagerly.

...

Ethan's parents were out the back arguing amiably over the way a barbecue should be cooked, and as he was in his room, Ethan was the only one who heard the doorbell. He didn't want to answer, didn't want to leave his room, and had no desire to be sociable with his parents' friends. Even if they were board members at the University of Maxville.

The doorbell rang again, and he groaned in annoyance when he realised that he was going to have to leave his room after all. Putting his glasses on, Ethan made his way downstairs, hoping his eyes weren't too puffy from crying. He'd cried in his melted form to help lessen the evidence, but his mother must have seen something, because she'd promptly sent him upstairs with a headache tablet and a large glass of water.

Ethan tried to smile - _dear god, these people were impatient_, he thought as the bell rang yet again - and opened the door. His half-smile faltered and he paled when he saw Zach there.

"Zach? What are you... ?" Ethan began to ask, but his words were cut off when Zach stepped forward and kissed him.

His arms wrapped around Zach seemingly of their own accord as Ethan responded to Zach's eager kiss.

"Ethan? I hope you're going to invite Zach over for lunch," his mother said, a grin tugging at her lips as she looked at them.

Pulling away quickly, both went bright red. (_Zach was actually emitting a reddish light_, Ethan realised hazily.) He attempted to say something, but only managed an incoherent stammer.

"Don't look so worried, Ethan," his mother said with another grin. "Of course, I wish you'd just told me you were gay instead of letting me find out like this," she added, her grin faltering. "But honestly, you showed absolutely no interest over Magenta when you were younger, and when she broke up with Zach, it was all about Zach instead of your childhood friend. I kind of guessed."

His cheeks went red again, and Ethan studiously avoided Zach's gaze. He just grinned in response, taking Ethan's hand in his own.

"So, what's for lunch, Mrs. Damsale?" Zach asked brightly.

"Please, call me Anita," she replied pleasantly, leading them out to the backyard to wait for her guests.

...

End of the nineteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty

...

"So you've finally worked things out?" Layla asked, grinning at Zach and Ethan at lunch the next day.

"Yes," Ethan said with a grin and nod.

"How'd you know?" Zach asked, frowning slightly.

He and Ethan had purposely taken seats across from each other so he'd be able to resist the temptation to kiss him. Zach didn't want to be stuffed in his locker again, and really didn't want to be ridiculed for liking boys on top of being a Sidekick.

"Because you're playing footsies under the table, and you've kicked my leg more than once," Layla said, laughing softly when Zach paled and immediately withdrew his foot.

"Sorry, Lay," he said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," she said, shrugging. A loud scream came from nearby, and Layla gave an annoyed sigh. "It's kind of noisy in here; we're going outside, okay? See you later," she said, smiling briefly as she stood and left, Warren leaving with her.

Looking at each other, Ethan and Zach shrugged and continued to eat their lunches. Beneath the table, Zach moved his foot to touch against Ethan's, a grin on his face.

...

Layla finished the C documents by the time her break started at work that evening. Her alarm went off loudly to remind her, as she was the only one left in the Mayor's office. Outside of _The Monster_'s room, her tray was sitting on a chair with photocopying requests that people hadn't had time for during the day.

As she was grabbing her water bottle and apple, the phone on Ms. Peace's desk began to ring. Startled, Layla went to the phone, wondering if she should answer it. She saw the number that was on the caller ID, and recognised the last few digits as Warren's house number. Picking up, she answered hesitantly, hoping she wouldn't get into trouble for this, as she hadn't been told anything about answering phones after hours.

"Oh, Layla, good, you picked up," Ms. Peace said, and Layla almost sighed in relief. "I just wanted to remind you to have your break now. How are you going with _The Monster_?"

"It's going quite well; I've finished C now, and after my break, I planned on doing the photocopying requests. There's quite a few," she replied with a bit of a laugh, looking at the tray.

"Really? When I left earlier, there were only about ten. How many are there now?"

"Definitely more than ten, but I'm not sure about the exact number. I can check?" she offered, frowning at the large bundle of paperwork.

"No, it's fine. You go on your break now, okay? When you do the photocopying, count them as you go along and write the number on the sticky pad in my top drawer. I'll come in a bit early to make sure that no one else sees it. There really shouldn't be any more than the ten, possibly fifteen, around this time of year. If it's over that, then that needs to be addressed."

"Oh, no. I couldn't do that. It's really all right, Ms. Peace. It's just a bit of photocopying, really," Layla said in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Fine, but if you've got more than thirty, you will let me know, won't you? I don't want you to get an injury from too much photocopying, Layla."

An itching sensation began in her head, and she almost sighed in frustration.

"Yes, I'll let you know. I'd better go on my break now. Thank you for calling, Ms. Peace."

"You're welcome. Warren will be by to take you home later. You'll text to let me know you're home safe, won't you? And if you have a problem - anything whatsoever - you call me, okay?"

"Yes, Ms. Peace, I will."

Hanging up from the call after they'd both said farewell, Layla hurried to the staff area to sit down and finally have a drink of water. She finished her apple and water in a matter of minutes, and quickly flicked through her phone to see the photographs of the documents she'd taken earlier.

The B files had a lot of bank and financial-related documents that she didn't find particularly interesting, other than knowing where most superheroes did their banking. In the C's so far, there was another contractor (this one was for the acquisition of overseas specialty items. It was very interesting to note that The Commander had secretly requested a vat of toxic waste from the Mayor without informing Jetstream; it was the very same vat of toxic waste that Ron Wilson had fallen in late last year), and a few receipts for costume-tailors for supers, and orders of special materials that the tailors needed to make the usually-fire-resistant outfits.

Sighing, Layla returned her bottle and phone to her bag, and then picked up her heavy tray of photocopying requests. Most of the requests on the top of the pile were from Stephanie, but there were just as many from Jillian, who Layla vaguely remembered as being an empath and was seated in the same cubicle area as Stephanie.

_That probably explained who had been trying to read her emotions after the documents had been scattered by the ceiling fan_, Layla thought.

Going over to the photocopier, Layla frowned briefly when she saw that a small red light was flashing in the corner. Pressing the start button to spurt the machine back into life, she saw that there was a paper jam in the copier. Following the directions on the screen, she opened each compartment to find the elusive piece of jammed paper. Unable to find anything, she closed everything up again, but the red light continued to flash at her. Going through the motions again at a slower pace, turning the small wheels to hopefully move the paper out manually, again Layla found nothing. It was completely free of any jammed paper.

Remembering something similar happening to the photocopier at her mother's veterinary practice back when she'd helped over her school holidays, Layla tried to remember how her mother had fixed the problem. _Turning it off and restarting the copier had worked that time; maybe it would this time_? Deciding that she could probably try it at the very least, Layla turned the machine off and hurried to turn it back on, watching intently for the screen to start up again. She sighed in relief when it started, and the screen stayed clear of any supposed jams. Layla began to photocopy the requests, one by one.

An hour and a half, and forty-six requests later, she had finally finished. Her eyes were bleary from all of the request forms she'd had to fill out; her arm was sore from the repetitive motion of moving and collecting both copies and originals, lifting the lid; and her finger was actually aching from pressing the start button so often.

She vaguely heard her phone ringing from her bag, and went to answer it before it rang out.

"Hippie, where the hell are you?" Warren demanded the moment she answered.

"At work. Why, where are you?" she asked with a frown, turning to actually look at the time.

It was almost past 8:30, and her shift should have finished thirty minutes ago.

"Outside waiting, like I have been for the past forty minutes. What the hell's going on? Did _The Monster_ eat you or something? Can you open the door and let me in?"

"Yeah, I'll be right down."

Layla hung up and hurried to grab her access card before going downstairs to let Warren inside.

"You look exhausted; what happened?" he asked with a frown, seeing her heavy eyes and tired posture.

She hadn't looked this tired after school only five hours ago, and this job had never made her look **this** exhausted before.

"Started photocopying requests today. There were forty-six requests, yet when your mother left work, there were apparently ten, maybe fifteen. I didn't realise the time. Wait here while I get my bag," Layla said, going over to the elevator.

Before the elevator doors had even closed, Warren had already called his mother.

"Are you okay? Layla hasn't text to say she's home yet, is everything all right?" she asked within seconds of answering.

"She's still at work. Mum, there were forty-six photocopying requests. That's not normal, not unless it's election time, right?" Warren asked, his hands close to flaming in anger.

This was bullying, just a more subtle type of bullying, but either way, he hadn't expected it to come from **adults**.

"No, it most definitely is not normal," his mother growled, sounding just as angry as he was. "Do you know who they're from? Actually, never mind that, I know who they're from. I thought it was odd that Jillian and Stephanie wanted to stay back; they're usually out of the office at six on the dot. I just didn't think they'd do something like this. Oh, those little bitches. I'll rip them apart tomorrow, this is just **not** acceptable. They're _adults_, they should be acting like it!" There was a pause before she continued, "You haven't heard me saying any of this. I could get fired for ragging on my colleagues, even after work and to my son," she muttered.

"Haven't heard a single thing; but if you need to continue, go ahead," Warren said with a brief chuckle.

The elevator doors opened with a cheery ding, but Layla didn't step forward. He frowned and moved to the elevator, only to find Layla there, her eyes closed, her chin resting on her chest as she leaned back against the wall.

"Actually, I think I might have to hang up so I can carry Layla. She's fallen asleep in the elevator. Mum, this is just _totally_ fucked up," Warren muttered.

"Language, Warren!" she admonished immediately. "But you're right. You know what? Wait there, I'll come around and pick you both up. She's probably missed the bus by now, and the next one isn't for another hour. See if you can ring her aunt and let her know that she's staying over."

"It might be better if you do that; Layla's Great Aunt isn't my biggest fan."

"Why not? It's the leather jacket, isn't it?" she asked with a laboured sigh.

"Something like that. I'll stay inside with Layla until you get here, okay?" Warren asked, changing the subject very quickly.

Deciding that she didn't have the energy to manipulate her son's emotions to get the truth, Ms. Peace sighed in resignation, agreed that it was fine, and hung up before getting ready to go out and pick them up.

...

Layla woke up from a pleasant dream where she was lying on the beach, the sun warming her body. In her dream she didn't have to worry about sunscreen, being burnt, or breaking out in a million freckles after a few minutes in the sun. There was no annoying sand in all the wrong places, and she'd dozed off without a care. She sighed slightly, keeping her eyes closed to try and stay in the dream a moment longer.

"All right, hippie?"

Her eyes opening immediately, she sprang back from Warren quickly, wondering what had happened. Layla tried to remember what she'd done after work the night before, but didn't even remember leaving work.

"Calm down; it's okay. You're at my house. Mum called your Great Aunt and let her know that you were too exhausted to catch the bus home. I was going to set you down on the bed and sleep on the sofa - I promise I was, Mum was even itching at me to do that - but you refused to let go of my neck, so I had to stay here with you," Warren explained.

This was probably the most amount of words he'd ever spoken before 8am and before any type of caffeinated beverage in his system. Layla just looked so freaked out and concerned that he felt the need to set the record straight before she completely flipped out on him.

She seemed to relax, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Okay, then. Thanks... I'm really sorry. You didn't have to carry me again, did you?"

"Yes, but not too far. Mum picked us up from the Mayor's office last night after you fell asleep in the elevator."

Layla blinked in surprise, frowning slightly as she tried to remember it. She vaguely remembered closing her eyes to rest as the elevator made its descent from the 6th floor.

"Oh, god. That must have been awful; it's the first time your mother's been home before 7, and then she had to come pick us up because I fell asleep."

"Seriously, calm down, hippie. Mum didn't mind. It was better than trying to get you home when you were that exhausted."

She mustn't have had a very calm expression on her face because Warren rolled his eyes at her, cupped the back of her head in his palm and kissed Layla intently.

"Calmer now?" he murmured when they pulled apart a moment later.

"A bit. You might have to try again," she said with a cheeky grin.

He kissed her again immediately, his hand moving to cup her cheek instead.

"Much calmer," Layla breathed. "Oh god, I've got morning breath, don't I?" she said, wincing.

"So what? I do too; you didn't hear me complaining, did you?" Warren said, shaking his head and kissing her again.

A sharp knock at the door had them pulling apart quickly.

"Time to get up, kids! You've got to get ready for school," Ms. Peace called.

"Coming," Warren called.

"Be right out," Layla added, trying not to blush wildly.

"I'd hope so, or I'd have to turn the hose on you. Coffee's ready on the bench!"

"Thanks!" Warren called back, standing and pulling a towel off the hook on the back of his door. "You want the shower first, hippie?"

"I'll go in after you," she replied.

He nodded and left quickly, the prospect of freshly brewed coffee making him want to have the fastest shower in the history of showers.

When he was gone, Layla looked around for her bag, hoping that she still had her gym shirt inside it and hadn't left it for the laundry. She started when a towel and shirt were thrown onto the bed beside her. She looked up from the dark green shirt to see Warren's mother standing in the doorway, holding a large mug of coffee.

"It's an old shirt that hasn't fit for quite some time. It should fit you though, so you might as well keep it."

With that, she turned and left to get ready for work.

"Thank you!" Layla called after her.

When she tried the shirt on moments later, Layla was surprised to find a piece of cardboard digging into her back. She pulled it out to find that it was actually a price tag. Ms. Peace obviously hadn't owned nor worn the shirt if she'd never taken the tag off of it.

"Shower's free, hippie," Warren said, drying his hair haphazardly with the towel as he walked into the room. "You okay?" he asked with a frown, seeing her sitting on the bed with a shirt in her hands and tears in her eyes.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Layla said quickly, blinking rapidly. "I'll be out in a minute."

She hurried past him, the towel and shirt in her arms.

Shrugging to himself, Warren ran his fingers through his hair and went to the kitchen for some much-needed coffee.

...

"I've got this Friday off; do you want to do a study session after school?" Layla asked Ethan, Zach, and Warren at lunch.

"Fine by me; who's house do we want to go to?" Ethan asked, looking at the others.

"Not yours; it's too far from work for me. Zach's is probably closest," Warren added.

"Yeah, okay. I'll let my 'rents know tonight," Zach said with a shrug.

"Want to do another study session on the weekend too? I could probably use with the more concentrated time, since you know we're going to be watching the Save the Citizen videos on Friday," Layla said with a grin.

"That's not _entirely_ true," Zach protested feebly. "Any idea who you're going against yet?" he asked, grinning.

"Not yet, but I've got a couple of possibilities."

"Do you want the book?" Ethan asked.

"If you've got it with you, yeah. If not, don't worry about it," she replied with a smile.

Ethan pushed his glasses up his nose and turned to his bag, pulling the book out quickly, handing it to her.

"Really, Popsicle, you've started carrying it around with you?" Warren asked with a groan.

"Why wouldn't I? I still get asked about competing against you two, and it's easier to have it with me than try to remember details when I get back to my locker. Besides, by carrying it around with me, I can keep the book from falling in the wrong hands. A lot of people could use that book for nefarious purposes, you know."

"Oh, really? Like who?" Layla asked.

Zach, who had been drinking while Ethan was talking, promptly choked on his water. Warren hid his grin and smacked him on the back.

"Well, I don't know... I mean, if you were asking me this time last year, I probably would have said Warren," Ethan said with a shrug.

"Got a problem with me, Popsicle?" Warren growled.

He _eeped_ in response, quickly shaking his head.

"He's just joking, Eth. Don't look so worried," Zach said, grinning at him.

"I knew that," he replied, adjusting his shirt collar.

"We're going to have to work on that fear of yours, you know," Zach muttered, frowning at Ethan briefly.

"I'm not afraid! Well, not always. And it's not like you don't get scared either," he muttered, stabbing at his food with his fork.

"Oh, I know that. But I also don't tremble like a leaf when Warren threatens me. I can tell the difference between him being angry and him trying to be intimidating."

"_Trying_?" Warren growled angrily. "My intimidation skills worked _fine_ before you lot came along."

"See, he started off being angry, and then he's just reduced to a pouty ball of flames because Layla's sitting next to him and making sure he won't roast us alive," Zach said, patting Ethan's hand and grinning at him. "If you're going to roast anyone, I've got a list of people who can go first."

"Do you now?" Layla asked, smirking.

"Yep, and it has more than the usual two people on it," he replied, sounding proud.

Warren chuckled. "Congratulations, glow stick."

"I'd like to see that list one day," Layla said with a grin.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Zach said, laughing.

Ethan frowned briefly, wondering if they really were joking. _Their tones weren't serious, not really, but what they were saying... It wasn't the sort of thing super heroes would say, was it_?

"Are you still all right to record the Save the Citizen games on Friday, Ethan?" Layla asked suddenly, looking at him.

He nodded in response, and as he was drawn back into the conversation, Ethan couldn't help but wonder if she'd changed the subject on purpose.

...

Layla was extremely grateful when the clock chimed six that evening. Apparently, the Mayor had called a mandatory meeting that morning and spent almost two hours lecturing everyone about work ethics, working as a team, and stated in no uncertain terms that bullying of any kind was not to be tolerated.

From the moment she'd walked into the Mayor's office, Layla had felt a sensation of pressure in her head. It wasn't the itching that accompanied Ms. Peace's power, and as she saw Jillian watching her intently, she figured that the empath was attempting to read her emotions. She was confused at the action, briefly wondering if Jillian and Stephanie expected her to be upset or overwhelmed at their little juvenile trick from the night before.

When Ms. Peace had seen her, she'd quickly explained what had happened, and added for Layla not to worry about anything as she was staying late that night to ensure the same thing didn't happen with the photocopying.

On discovering that they wouldn't be alone in the office, the amount of work Jillian and Stephanie had complained about suddenly disappeared, and they'd left at quarter to six. Warren's mother had waited another fifteen minutes to make sure they wouldn't return, and then left for her home gratefully after her busy day.

Sighing to herself, Layla decided to eat while continuing to work on _The Monster_. She didn't want to leave the room if there was a chance Stephanie and Jillian might be around to ruin her hard work again.

The rest of the evening went by without a hitch. She spoke to the security guard that patrolled the office, photocopied the ten requests from her tray and left the copies on her colleagues' desks, and by the time eight o'clock rolled around, Layla had finished sorting the E documents. (Electricity statements, electoral addresses, and a few pages about energy reducing and saving opportunities that probably hadn't been looked at since they were given to the Mayor.)

After ensuring that everything was secured with paper weights, the fan was off, and the drawers to _The Monster_ were closed, Layla left the small office and locked the door behind her.

Warren had sent her a quick text after her evening break to let her know he wouldn't be able to take her home that night, as there was a large clean up scheduled for all staff to participate in. The health inspector was making the rounds later that week, and they needed to make sure everything was sparkling. Warren added for her to text him the moment she arrived at the house safely. Shaking her head at his over protective nature, Layla shouldered her bag and left, waving goodbye to the security guard on her way out.

Half an hour later, Layla walked into her Great Aunt's house, and was surprised to find that her relative was still awake. Ever since returning from the hospital, her Great Aunt had made it a point to be asleep before Layla returned from work.

Greta was on the phone to Frieda, and seemed to be in the middle of a very long complaint about something. As she closed and locked the door, Layla listened to the conversation in curiosity.

"I still can't believe it. Someone won the second division prize. One person! They didn't even have to share it like those poor bastards who won a thousand dollars between twenty people!" There was a pause in the conversation before her Great Aunt continued. "No, of course it wasn't me. I haven't played lotto since everyone in that syndicate screwed me over... Oh, stop lecturing me about my language, Frieda. I'm old enough to say whatever the hell I want."

Stopping at the lounge room door, Layla knocked on the door. Her Great Aunt spun around in surprise.

"Don't do that, girl! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry. I just wanted to let you know I was home. Have you had dinner yet?" Layla asked politely.

"It's past eight-thirty; of course I bloody well have!"

"Is there anything left over for me?"

"No, why would I bother making dinner for you?" Greta's face reddened slightly when Frieda started berating her loudly on the phone, and she glowered over at Layla. "Oh, do shut up Frieda. I meant that she won't eat anything I make! Of course it's got meat in it; I have to get proteins somehow! I refuse to take those bloody vitamins the doctor keeps trying to get me to swallow!"

Layla went to the kitchen to make something for herself. Cooking up lentils, vegetables, and a handful of pasta, Layla separated the cooked combination into two bowls so she'd have enough for lunch the next day. She could ask Warren to heat it up for her. Thinking of Warren made her remember that she'd meant to text him, and she hurried to do so before he called in worry.

Sitting at the kitchen bench, Layla ate her dinner, her mind thinking of the documents she'd taken photos of that evening, the assignments she still had to work on, and the opponents she planned on choosing for Save the Citizen the next day.

Frowning slightly when she realised exactly what her Great Aunt's first complaint had been about, Layla turned on the television to try and find the results for the lottery.

...

End of the twentieth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty-One

...

"Before you tell me _why_ you're looking like the cat who got the cream, please tell me you have some sort of caffeinated beverage in your bag," Warren muttered, flopping onto the bus seat beside her, closing his eyes against the glare of the sun.

"I made hot chocolate to have with breakfast before I realised I was running late," Layla said, offering him the thermos she was holding.

"Better than nothing. Thanks, hippie," he said briefly, waiting until the driver had pulled over at the next bus stop before pouring a small amount into the lid.

While the driver was getting better, and could now drive without making them feel as though they were on the world's bumpiest roller coaster, there were still times when he relapsed and hit a pothole. Warren still maintained he did it on purpose, just so the students wouldn't get placated.

When he finished drinking the hot chocolate in the lid, Warren handed it back. He frowned slightly, seeing that she was practically bouncing in her seat.

"What the hell was in your hot chocolate, hippie?" he muttered, planning on closing his eyes until they landed at Sky High.

Warren was surprised when he felt Layla sidle up to him, her body pressing against his in ways that warmed him more than the hot chocolate ever could. _Well, if she wanted to make out, who was he to deny her_?

"We won," Layla whispered.

_Okay, no making out then... Wait, won? Won what_?

Opening his eyes, he looked at her in confusion. Layla's grin just seemed to get even bigger, and it took Warren a moment to realise exactly what they'd entered in to win in the first place.

"You mean... The numbers?" he asked, his jaw hanging open in shock.

Layla nodded, bouncing in the seat again, her excitement almost vibrating out of her in waves.

"What... How... When... How much?" Warren faltered, trying to decide on what he wanted to know the most.

"Last weekend. Second division. $91,010," she murmured, grinning.

The bus dropped off the edge of the freeway - neither of them had heard the exhausts turn to the rocket-fuelled ones - and they both yelped in surprise. Warren overcame his surprise first and pulled her close to him, his mouth at her ear.

"Tell me," he said, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"We missed the division one prize by _one_ number. We won the second division. They're looking for the winner, so we'll need to hand in the ticket to claim the money," she added. "_Ninety-one thousand and ten dollars_. We _won_, Warren," Layla said, grinning at him again.

Warren grinned back at her, pulling Layla to him and kissing her intently. When he pulled away, both of their lips were swollen, and neither one could stop grinning.

...

"So how much did you win?" Craig asked with a grin as he looked down at Layla from his taller carbon copy.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Layla replied with a broad grin.

Her grin slipped when he chuckled and looked away from her. She had no idea how she could stop Craig from knowing how much she and Warren had won, nor how she could keep him from talking about it. If she threatened him, it could come back to bite her, especially in the middle of a non-super store.

Craig handed the lottery slip to the young woman behind the counter, giving her a broad grin. "I'd like to check the results for this, thanks."

Suddenly, Craig's phone started to ring, a loud noise that no one could ignore. He reddened briefly and hurried to answer it. He walked away quickly, indicating to Layla to deal with the lottery ticket.

Relieved, and hurrying to hide the feeling, Layla stepped forward and smiled at the cashier, as if indulging the request of a scatter-brained father. She received a brief grin in return, and then the machine made a loud beeping noise. Layla quickly looked to see where Craig was. He'd left to stand just outside of the store, his signal reception too low to hear the caller properly. Craig was engrossed in the phone call, and didn't seem to hear the loud noise.

"Oh, wow. Your dad just got **rich**," the cashier said, her eyes wide. "Congratulations... Uh, you're gonna have to collect this at the lottery claim centre; it's way too big a prize for us to give out, y'know," she added.

"Wow; I'll tell him right away. Thank you so much!" Layla gushed, taking the ticket back.

"Is your dad single?" the cashier asked, grinning at her.

"Happily married. Thanks for asking," Layla said, wondering whether she was serious or joking.

She left before the woman attempted to say anything else, going outside to where Craig had left to get a better signal.

"Win anything?" he asked, pushing off the wall and adjusting his cap.

"Not a thing," Layla replied, shaking her head.

"Ah well. Maybe next time. Y'know, when you're actually legally allowed to gamble," Craig said, chuckling.

"Maybe. Thanks for doing this for me, Craig. Mum used to play those numbers, and I guess I wanted something as a reminder of her..."

Craig nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, I've got to get to work now. I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

"Yeah, sure. Have a good one," Craig called, taking her opening and leaving quickly.

Layla left for work, intent on arriving at the Mayor's office early in order to text Warren and let him know not to shave for a few days. They'd go to the claim centre that weekend before his shift at _The Paper Lantern_.

...

"All right, hot head, flower girl. Heroes or villains, and who do you choose?" Boomer asked, looking down at Layla and Warren from his seat high in the gallery.

The days had passed quickly, and Friday was almost over. Layla had been running late that morning, forgot that she'd organised a study session at Zach's house, and after school, she'd have to go back to her Great Aunt's house in order to get her assignments to work on. She was glad it was a Friday, and just wanted the day to be over as soon as possible. Even the knowledge of playing Save the Citizen later that afternoon hadn't made the day go by any faster.

"Heroes. I choose Wendy Walker," Layla called.

"I pick Ethan Damsale," Warren said, smirking briefly.

There was a rumble of noise through the crowd. Not only was it a deliberate barb to choose a sidekick that they'd already beaten before, but to put him with a Hero who couldn't even utilise his power was adding insult to the injury.

"All right," Boomer said, frowning slightly as he ticked off their names. "Walker, Damsale! Get your gear on and get ready!"

Ethan handed his phone to Zach and hurried to the change room as fast as he could, not wanting to upset Coach Boomer. Wendy didn't seem as fussed about the coach's feelings, and strolled down to the girl's change room.

"You sure the Popsicle's all right with this?" Warren asked Layla for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"He's fine. Just keep him preoccupied while I deal with Walker, okay?"

"Just be careful, all right? Walker's not known for her calm and reasonable temperament," he muttered.

"I'm planning on that, actually," Layla replied with a grin.

"All right, teams. You've got a minute to discuss strategies. Go!" Boomer called.

Wendy glared at Ethan. "Are you going to do anything other than melt in fear the moment one of them gets too close?"

"P-probably not," Ethan squeaked in fear at her harsh tone.

"At least you're honest about it... Fine, just stay out of the way. I'll try not to fry you with a lightning bolt. No promises though," she added with a cruel smirk.

He _eeped_ in response, and nodded quickly, stepping back from her.

"Time's up! Get ready to fight in three ... two ... one ... GO!" Coach Boomer boomed loudly, starting the clock and pressing the button for the citizen to start descending.

Before Wendy or Ethan could even take a step forward, Warren threw a fireball directly at Ethan, and he melted quickly to avoid being barbecued. The fireball landed short, while Warren's next three landed off as well. The four fireballs combined to create a circle around Ethan's melted form, trapping him. Taking the flames higher so Ethan couldn't escape as he did last time, Warren concentrated on keeping them that size.

Wendy sighed in annoyance at the lame sidekick she'd been partnered with, and focused her attention on Layla. There was just enough moisture in the air for her to create a cloud, and she made it as heavy as she could without depriving the student population of their required water. A few water bottles became empty when the atmosphere became hotter, and soon, the cloud Wendy had created was heavy enough to cause rain. She worked on making the atmosphere colder now, half of her concentration on keeping the cloud in the air. The hot and cool atmosphere's combined, striking at each other and beginning to create lightning.

Meanwhile, Layla was creating a forest of vines and trees from the floorboards. She made the trees tall in order to protect herself, Warren, and the citizen against Wendy's oncoming storm. Walking between the trees, Layla made it to the citizen. Due to the height of her trees, no one could see what was happening in the arena, not even Coach Boomer. A vine trailed along the ground, moving to take Wendy, wrapping around her tightly and a leaf covering her mouth to stop her scream. If anyone in the crowd had seen the move, they would have presumed that Layla was simply distracting Wendy from the storm she was creating.

Wendy opened her eyes to find herself staring at the citizen, who was whole and sitting in front of her innocently. A leaf was wrapped around its mouth in order to stop it from talking.

"We've already won. In less time than it took for you to make a storm cloud, I might add. Let off a bolt or two if it'll make you feel better," Layla offered.

Three bolts hits various parts of the forest, the trees starting to burn. Warren stopped the fires easily in a matter of seconds. Layla let the leaf move from Wendy's mouth, seeing that she had something to say.

"What do you want from me?" she hissed.

"I want to offer you the chance to beat Stronghold," Layla replied calmly.

From outside of the forest, they could hear the students chanting, counting down the last minute loudly and eagerly. There wasn't much else for them to do since they couldn't see what was going on in the arena.

"W-what?" Wendy echoed in shock.

"You win here, you beat Stronghold in the next game. Fairly simple, really. You'll even get to choose your own sidekick, since Ethan won't be able to play after this," Layla added.

"What do you want in return?" Wendy asked suspiciously, not stupid enough to think there wouldn't be some sort of catch.

"When the time's right, we'll find you," Layla replied, shrugging.

Wendy frowned slightly. It sounded awfully similar to the conversations she'd overheard Penny and Gwen - _no, not Gwen, _**_Royal Pain_**, she reminded herself harshly - talking about the year before. But she'd never been a part of those conversations, had never been asked, even though she'd heard it all. Despite leaving the little group to their own devices, sure that they'd be caught, she hadn't told on them. _Gwen had never seen that as something to be rewarded_...

Even so, there was something different about Layla. Not just the fact that she was planning something that didn't involve the word 'I' all the time, but rather 'us', something which was unheard of in the villainous community. Layla seemed as though she could do what Royal Pain had never succeeded in completing. She wasn't bent on a vain plan of revenge that had been boiling for years beneath the surface, but there was something there, something that seemed to be hiding just how dark she really was becoming. Wendy was surprised she hadn't seen it before.

The shouts from the audience became louder; they were in the last ten seconds of the game.

"It's your choice, Wendy. You can get your revenge on Stronghold with one simple word," Layla offered.

Wendy looked away from her briefly. The citizen seemed to be mocking her, lifeless and unblinking eyes telling her that the three letter word had never been this hard to say before.

"Yes."

A crack of lightning accompanied her word, a few surprised screams following it. A second passed, and a loud mulching sound was heard. It was so loud that it overtook the students' chanting, and silence fell as the forest subsided. When the trees disappeared entirely, Wendy and Layla were revealed. Wendy was standing above an unconscious Layla, burn marks littering the redhead's body. A lightning bolt seemed to have hit a nearby tree and affected the creator just as badly. Half of the citizen was still sticking out of the metal teeth, but it was more than obvious who had won the game.

The crowd was silent for a long moment, and then a smattering of applause started, even as Nurse Spex made her way into the arena. She looked at Wendy's body, commenting on the thorns and bruises she'd received from Layla's vines.

"I'll play with them, thanks," Wendy said, standing up straighter and biting back a wince of pain.

"Very well. Come to me after school though; you don't want to leave those thorns untreated."

Wendy gave Nurse Spex a curt nod. Warren was carrying Ethan over, his arm around his shoulders as the younger boy dragged his feet along the floor, too exhausted from being in his melted form to walk on his own. From the stands, Zach hurried to join them and took Ethan from Warren so the older boy could carry Layla out.

"All three of you had best come with me," Nurse Spex clucked.

Boomer looked annoyed at yet another victor needing to go to the nurse's office, but waved them out of his arena and pressed the button to put the new citizen above the metal teeth. He might've liked the style of the hot head and flower child, but they'd been beaten, and he had a new game to referee.

...

Warren waited in the foyer of the house while Layla hurried upstairs to get her work. She kept her footsteps quiet, not wanting to wake her Great Aunt if she was asleep, as she hadn't seen any sign of her in the downstairs area. Layla hadn't had the chance to tell Greta that she wouldn't be working that night. In fact, they'd barely said two words to each other in as many days, and Layla was too stubborn to be the first to break the silence.

Hearing a loud moan, Layla frowned in confusion. She wondered if her Great Aunt was in pain, and hadn't been able to call anyone for help. It was a common thing to happen to old people, apparently. A desire to see her in pain flowed through her, the vines beneath her skin rippling in pleasure at the very thought. Making her way down the hallway softly, Layla peeked into Greta's bedroom where the noise had come from. Her eyes widened and she hurried to step back, intent on keeping her footsteps even quieter than before.

_Okay, she _**_definitely_**_ wasn't in pain_, Layla concluded, feeling disgusted at what she'd just witnessed. Then her disgust dissipated, and she frowned. Layla was sure that she'd seen that man's face before. She'd never met him, she knew that, but she had seen him _somewhere_.

_On T.V.? A poster, billboard, magazine? Maybe a photograph_? That one prompted her memory, and Layla almost gasped out loud.

_The man who was in there with her Great Aunt was Henry Olgestein, the soon-to-be ex-husband of Frieda. Frieda, who was Greta's _**_best friend_**.

Despite the mental trauma, the blackmail opportunity was too good to resist. Layla quickly got her phone out of her pocket, and switched the camera on to record. She then used a vine to move the phone towards the door and film what was happening inside. A few more moans occurred, these ones involving names, and she winced.

_Principal Powers had wanted her to attend counselling sessions after her mother's death - well, now she definitely had something to be counselled about_! she thought with a horrified shudder.

Remembering that Warren was still downstairs, Layla pulled her phone back to her, the vine disappearing. She went to her room to get her work, leaving as quickly and quietly as possible. Putting her finger to her lips when she saw Warren, she ignored his questioning look, and they left the house. Shutting the door behind them quietly, Layla took his hand, basically pulling him up the street. It was only when they were at the bus stop that she explained.

"My Great Aunt was in there ... doing _stuff_ with Henry Olgestein," she said, shuddering.

"Olgestein, as in Frieda?"

She nodded. "Her soon-to-be ex-husband. Greta kept saying how many times he cheated on Frieda; I didn't think she knew from personal experience."

"I'm surprised you weren't out of there like a shot. What took you so long?"

"I recorded it for blackmail, of course."

"Of course," he said, chuckling. "I have no desire to see that video," Warren added quickly when she pulled out her phone.

"Don't worry; I'm just emailing it to myself. I don't want this to be the only copy if my phone gets mysteriously smashed," Layla muttered, her voice little more than a growl.

"Good idea," he agreed with a nod. "Any plans on how you're going to blackmail them?"

"A few," she admitted, her bright smile a startling contrast to their conversation. "Would you help me?"

"Of course." Warren didn't hesitate with his answer, didn't need to think about the consequences, or even know the particulars of what she wanted before agreeing.

Layla kissed him intently, and he felt his vine mark around his wrist start to ache in response. Despite having his eyes closed, Warren was certain that Layla's eyes would be bright green at that moment. He couldn't find it within himself to care, and kissed her back passionately, his lips curving into a grin.

...

That afternoon, when the study session was done, Layla asked Warren's mother if she could stay over for the night. She was given permission to do so, so long as she and Warren slept in separate rooms. Ms. Peace was too tired after her day of team building with her colleagues to even give them a manipulative push in their minds to obey her. She went to bed an hour after dinner, her feet dragging.

Layla text her Great Aunt to let her know that she wouldn't be home that night. She added that she'd be staying over at a friends, and not to expect her until late Saturday afternoon.

"All right, now that that's done, care to share your plans, hippie?" Warren asked, looking at her from across the table.

They'd started studying after dinner while Warren's mother watched TV in a futile attempt to stay awake. As Layla had predicted, most of their time at Zach's had been spent watching the Save the Citizen videos. Zach had organised for the girl who turned into a ball (Layla vaguely remembered him referring to her as Gail) to record the fight between Stronghold and Wendy.

The fight had been surprisingly short, with Stronghold attempting to fly out of Wendy's range, which really was a ridiculous thing to attempt inside of an enclosed building against a person who could manipulate the weather. The smaller fight between their sidekicks - Magenta for Will, and Paul, the human hose, for Wendy - was no contest. Paul almost drowned the guinea pig form Magenta took, and his water had caught up in the cyclone Wendy had created, turning it into a wet cyclone that drenched the opposition. Both Will and Magenta had left the arena sneezing and shivering, so it was highly doubtful that they'd be at school come Monday morning. Despite the short fight, they had watched it five times in a row before Ethan had prompted them to do homework.

Warren had been extremely patient waiting to hear the blackmail plans Layla had thought of, but now he was close to going up in flames if he didn't find out very damn soon. With a grin and a flash of green in her eyes, Layla detailed her plans.

...

Henry walked down the carpeted hallway, a spring in his step. His divorce with Frieda was almost finalised, and despite the setup that she thought would win her case, it hadn't worked out. Henry had been warned of Frieda's plans, and despite the very attractive blonde that he'd been going to see, he had enough sense to realise that it wasn't one of Greta's jealous stints and spent the night at a friend's instead.

His infidelity was Frieda's fault, of course. He wouldn't have even looked at Greta (or the numerous other women) if Freida hadn't been such a whining and irritating cow. Henry shook his head and told himself to focus on the fact that he would be keeping his money and he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and without stupid, annoying Frieda in tow.

"Hello Henry," a pleasant voice said as he entered the kitchen.

Henry was so preoccupied that he replied before he realised that Greta was still upstairs and they were the only two in the house. His head whipped to where a redheaded girl was seated at the kitchen counter, a mug in her hands and a phone beside her.

"Who are you? How'd you get in here?" Henry asked, his voice raising.

"Don't bother trying to warn Greta that someone else is here; she's being brought down right now," Layla said.

As if on cue, Greta tumbled through the kitchen door, a towering teen following her calmly, streaks of fire burning through his hair. Henry shook his head and saw that the flames were just streaks of red, and dismissed his previous thought as a trick of the light.

"Layla? What the fuck is going on here? You little bit-" Greta didn't get to finish her sentence, a vine slithering up from the ground and wrapping around her mouth firmly.

Henry yelped in fear and tried to back away, but another vine rose out of nowhere and wrapped around his torso. He whimpered in pain when he felt thorns digging into his body.

"Don't be in such a hurry to rush off, Henry. We haven't even been introduced yet. I'm Layla, Greta's great niece. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'd be lying," she said with a brief and mocking smile. "Now, I want you both to listen. That means focusing your attention on my words and being quiet. Do you think you can do that?"

Both Henry and Greta nodded briefly, the first trembling in fear while the latter simply glowered. _The moment they were let go, Layla wouldn't know what hit her_. She would be going to that boarding school, and if she was lucky, Greta _wouldn't_ press charges and send her to gaol for the rest of her life. _The little bitch had no idea who she was dealing with_!

"Good. What I have to say is very important, and I know you'll want to hear it," Layla said calmly, setting her mug down and picking up her phone.

A few seconds later, moans filled the kitchen. Greta's eyes widened, wondering just what sick thing Layla was making them listen to. Then she heard her own name, and recognised Henry's voice. The phone was brought closer until she could see the clear picture of Henry and her own face in the video. She struggled against the vine, her shouts muffled by the thick leaf. Feeling an intense heat beside her, Greta stilled when she saw the flaming fist that was only inches away from her. The expression on Warren's face was terrifying, and Greta whimpered when the vine made her face Layla once more. Somehow, the girl's expression was even worse.

"I said for you to be quiet. If you keep making noise, you will be hurt. Is that understood?"

Greta nodded briefly. The video continued to play; Henry was actually sobbing by the time it ended, and Greta was too terrified to do more than tremble. Beneath her fear, she wondered if she could still get away with sending Layla away to boarding school.

"Now, I am aware of the divorce you are currently going through, Mr. Olgestein. This video could be very damning evidence, and I can upload it to the Internet in less than five seconds. I also have a copy to send to both your lawyer and Frieda's. You will both be ruined socially as well as financially. Are you willing to risk that?" Layla asked, looking between them.

Henry was the first to crack and shook his head quickly. He wasn't stupid; he knew that his wealth was the main reason women threw themselves at him. If that video went to the lawyers, he would be left with next to nothing.

Greta took a moment longer to agree. She had her own wealth, and while that wasn't at risk, her social status was. She may have loathed most of her so-called friends, but she knew how they operated. Frieda would be the one who would be victimised by all this, and in their friends eyes, Greta would be to blame. No matter how much money she had, she would be the one who hurt Frieda in their eyes - not Henry. Nearly all of their friends were the Chairperson (or the wives of the Chairperson) for nearly every Board and committee that ran the decent events in both Maxville and Westville. She could kiss goodbye any chance she had of being invited to a simple luncheon again, let alone a high-class social function. She might as well donate everything to a charity and plan her funeral. Greta shuddered at the prospect, and finally, shook her head.

"Good. Now, sit down and we'll discuss what I want in return for my silence."

The vines didn't disappear as Greta thought they would. Instead, they changed their shape until they were formed like chairs, their bodies forced in to seated positions.

"Henry, you will give Frieda the amount of money she wants in your divorce settlement. It's better than losing all of it," Layla added when he attempted to protest. When he quietened, she continued, "Greta, when I finish my education at Sky High, you will pay the rent for any place I choose to live in, and if I decide to continue my education, you will also pay for that. Until the time I leave, you are to be pleasant to me. If you are unable to manage that, then you are to leave me alone at all costs."

Layla took a moment to look at each of them. Henry still looked terrified, obviously this was his first encounter with a super-powered person; Greta looked slightly scared, but there was an intense hatred simmering beneath the fear that made Layla think she wouldn't hold to the bargain, even if she agreed.

"Do you agree to my terms?"

Warren moved to stand beside her, his arms flaming fiercely as he glared at them. She smiled briefly and took his hand in her own, the flames licking at her skin and her fire brand on her wrist spinning.

Henry nodded quickly, and after another long moment of silence, Greta nodded reluctantly.

"Trust me, my silence is not as costly as what will happen when this information is provided to the local media and your lawyer. Believe me when I say that I will know the precise moment you attempt to go back on this, no matter where you are," Layla added, the vines tightening.

Henry and Greta's screams were ripped from their throats as the vines thorns burrowed into and beneath their skin, feeling every inch like individual needles burning in their bloodstream.

Layla simply smiled and watched as their pain drove them to unconsciousness. When they both slumped forward, Warren let the flames disappear from his arms, and he turned to look at Layla. Surprisingly, her eyes were brown, but her veins and arteries were all bright green, giving her skin an ethereal look.

"All right, hippie?"

"Perfect," she breathed, smiling at him. "You?"

"Fine. Didn't really do much," he replied with a shrug.

"Don't worry, you will do so much more later," Layla murmured, rising on her toes to kiss him eagerly.

Warren kissed her back, closing his eyes to the sight of the two unconscious people behind Layla.

...

End of chapter twenty-one.

Hope you liked it!


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty-Two

...

Warren resisted the urge to scratch his face. He couldn't even hold Layla's hand to distract him from the itching sensation. With the way they were both dressed, he'd look like the world's biggest cradle robber. She'd put her hair in pigtails and was wearing a bright yellow shirt beneath denim overalls, looking much younger than her 16 years. At her insistence, he'd dressed in a pair of jeans and a suit shirt, a tie loose around his neck. He hadn't shaved for the last three days, and his lack of sleep had made the bags under his eyes darker, both combining to make him look closer to thirty than his actual teenage years. The stubble was itching like crazy though, and Warren couldn't wait to leave so he could find the closest possible razor to take to his face.

"Good morning, welcome to the lottery claim centre. How can I help you?" a young woman asked pleasantly, smiling at them brightly.

"I won a division prize for the lottery that I'd like to claim," Warren replied.

"Of course; do you have your ticket with you?"

He nodded, fishing his wallet from his pocket quickly and handing her the small piece of paper. A few bells and whistles sounded after she scanned the ticket in the machine, and she smiled at him a bit brighter.

"Congratulations on your win, sir. If you'll follow me, there's just a small amount of paperwork for you to fill out before you can collect this amount of money," she said, leaving the counter.

Warren and Layla followed her, neither able to stop from smiling at the prospect that they were about to become very rich.

The paperwork was fairly standard, telling Warren exactly how much he had won, the tax requirements on the money, asking whether he wanted his name printed in the newspaper regarding his win (he ticked _no,_ of course, knowing that was a sure-fire way to get stalked and/or robbed), and his contact details. The money would be transferred to an account of his choice, and Warren wrote down the details that Layla had provided to him earlier. It was her own bank account, the same one that the money from selling her house had gone in to. The moment the money was in the account, she would halve it with him. Layla planned on splitting her own half in to several different bank accounts in order to gain more interest.

Once everything was signed, they left the claim centre again. The woman looked after the man and assumed step-daughter, pleased that they seemed to be genuinely happy to receive the money. So many people came in, acting as if they'd expected nothing less than what they'd won, while others she knew would spend it frivolously. But it wasn't her job to judge them, so she returned to her job without another thought for the two that had just left the building.

...

Warren and Layla boarded the bus silently, but he could see that she was barely holding on to her excitement. She undid her pigtails, pulling her hair back into a rough bun. Warren grinned when she pulled him to her by his tie, kissing him fiercely, and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tighter.

"Hmm, you really need to shave that. It scratches," Layla murmured, caressing his cheek with a brief frown.

"Believe me, I know. I can't wait to shave the damned thing off," he added, stroking the stubble in distaste.

"Bet you can't wait to get back in to your normal pants either," Layla said with a grin, her gaze travelling down.

Warren saw the way her eyes darkened, the slight gasp of breath she took in appreciation, and grinned. _Maybe he'd keep the jeans for another time_.

They were silent as they walked from the bus stop to his house, and when they were both certain that the house was empty and Ms. Peace had gone out for the day, Layla made a loud noise of excitement and joy. She kissed Warren so eagerly that he lost his footing, and they ended up on the floor, her body straddling his.

Warren closed his eyes tightly as she kissed him, trying to keep some semblance of control. Pulling away, Layla stayed straddling his waist as she watched his battle for control flit across his face. She grinned to herself at the sight, kissing him chastely once more and standing up. Warren opened his eyes to look up at her in confusion.

"You were waging a battle big enough for both of us, so I made the decision for you. If I can use your computer while you're shaving, I'll transfer the money over for you if it's in there already," Layla said, smiling.

Warren sat up with a nod, feeling a mix between relieved and disappointed. He knew that the moment he was alone, he'd be thinking of her body pressed against him, the heat between her legs pressing up against him and setting his whole body aflame with need. Hell, Warren doubted that he'd even need to get angry to power up for the rest of the month.

"Come on, you've got to go to work soon," Layla called from down the hall.

Warren hurried to go after her, turning on the computer and Internet modem before leaving for the bathroom.

The money hadn't been transferred immediately, but Layla hadn't truly expected it to be. Instead, she went to a few different bank websites and created some new accounts so she could put her money in it when it arrived.

Layla cleared her Internet history, not liking the idea of someone finding her searches. She knew that Warren wouldn't say anything about the banks she had chosen - she trusted him - but identity theft was always in the realm of possibility, especially with so many technologically-able supers and telepaths in Maxville.

Warren opened his bedroom door, Layla automatically looking over at the sudden motion. Her mouth went dry when she saw that he was only in a towel, and she licked her lips.

"Fuck, Layla, you can't _do_ that," Warren groaned.

"Do what?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Look like that, especially when you're looking at me like that. Do you have any idea what it does to me?"

Layla wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about, but she figured that he was just as affected by her as she was by him. Smiling, she stood, kissed his cheek, and left Warren's room with a happy hum, leaving him slightly bewildered by her actions.

...

Greta muttered under her breath angrily as she diced the chicken breast for her own dinner. _Layla had gone too far_. Henry had woken up and all but run out of the house, never mind that he was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. He wouldn't return her calls, and refused to pick up his things. Greta was of half the mind to dump them off at Frieda's front step, just to rub salt in the stupid man's wounds. He was stupid enough to be afraid of a _teenage girl_.

_How pathetic_, Greta thought to herself in disgust. _She'd gone through the exact same treatment as Henry, but you didn't see her running away like the hounds of Hell were after her_!

Returning to her muttering, Greta moved onto the carrots, chopping up the vegetable sharply. _If she had her way, Layla would be on the next bus to the super boarding school on the other side of the country_.

A sharp piercing sensation began to cover her body. Greta howled in pain as phantom thorns dug into her skin, burrowing into her bones, wave after wave of pain flowing over her as she started to scream louder. The pain lessened after a few minutes, and Greta leaned on the bench, panting heavily.

_What on earth had Layla done to her_?

...

Finishing the last of the files in _The Monster_, even with the extra documents that had been put in her tray, Layla stood up and stretched her aching limbs. Seeing that it was almost 8 o'clock, she packed her things ready to leave, and wrote a note for Ms. Peace stating that she'd finished organising _The Monster_.

She had spent most of the afternoon photocopying the documents requested by people in the office - far less than the forty-six Layla had been given a few weeks ago; apparently, due to that act, both Stephanie and Jillian were under professional review due to their bullying.

Layla hadn't been the only one subjected to their bullying, but the Mayor hadn't noticed until the incident with the photocopying requests had been brought to his attention. An employee collapsing due to overexertion at work didn't sit well with the Mayor; he loathed the idea of spending money for compensation because of a bully. Stephanie was no longer the Mayor's favourite, and this set everyone on edge, unsure of what would happen next.

As it was a Monday night, Warren was meeting her to escort her home, and Layla lingered in the foyer to talk with the security guard before he did his rounds of the building. Dave seemed surprised that she was actually interested in anything he was saying, but talked at length about his job and the things he'd seen over the years of working for whichever Mayor was in office.

A knock at the door had Dave starting in surprise, but Layla simply reassured the man that it was her boyfriend come to pick her up. He nodded in understanding and let Warren inside out of the cold. Warren thanked him with a nod, and looked to Layla.

"Ready to go, hippie?"

"Sure. Thanks for the chat, Dave. See you tomorrow," Layla said with a smile.

The moment she was close enough, Warren took hold of her hand. Surprised at the uncharacteristic motion from him, she let a wave of power roll down her arm to the brand on her wrist. The flames recognised that Warren was actually Warren and flared up in pain. Layla hurried to control her breathing so she wouldn't cry out, and swiping her card at the door, she left with Warren.

They were both silent as they walked to the bus stop, but Layla could feel waves of emotion rolling off Warren as clear as if they were flames themselves.

"What the hell was that about, hippie?" Warren asked in a growl when they'd stopped.

"I wasn't sure it was you; you're never the first to hold hands," Layla pointed out.

"Well, it fucking hurt," he muttered, pulling his leather cuff off to look at his wrist.

Blood was seeping from numerous holes, all in the exact place where the thorns were on the branded vine.

Layla winced slightly, but couldn't feel too remorseful for what she'd done. "Why'd you go and hold my hand anyway?"

Even though he was still looking down at his wrist, Layla could see that her question had made his cheeks turn red.

"I wanted to touch you," Warren admitted, sounding pained at the verbal confession.

She laughed, and he scowled at her, pulling her against him.

"_Why_ are you laughing?" he growled, moving to kiss and nip at her neck.

"Because you, Mr. Scorch-Anyone-Who-Holds-My-Hand, wanted to hold my hand, and I hurt you instead! Not nice to be hurt when you're holding someone's hand, is it?" Layla asked, still laughing.

"Stop. Laughing," Warren murmured against her skin, kissing her between his words.

His words had little influence, and she continued to laugh, her arms around his neck loosely. "Oh, the bus is here. Coming?"

Muttering something under his breath that Layla didn't quite catch, she just grinned at him over her shoulder and stepped onto the bus. Warren adjusted his jacket briefly and followed her on board.

...

It had become a habit over the past few days for Layla to immediately checked her bank account upon waking up. Despite knowing that she had a larger amount of money in a trust fund from the sale of her mother's house, the sight of seeing over $91,000 in her bank account made Layla feel very lightheaded. As promised, she transferred half to Warren, taking a moment to look at the remaining amount of $45,505. Knowing that she would have to be very careful about transferring her money to the separate accounts, Layla logged out of her account and hurried to get ready for school.

When Warren boarded the bus an hour later, she could tell that he already knew about the money. He was scowling, but she could see his mouth twitching briefly as if he was trying hard not to just break out into a heart-melting grin. The moment he was seated, Warren kissed Layla hard, his lips so hot that she was sure her lips would be burnt when they stopped. She grinned at him when he pulled away, and licked her tingling lips, feeling them cracked beneath her tongue. Unable to care about such a trivial thing, Layla kissed Warren once more, a smile on her face as his hands burned against her hips.

The bus dropped off the end of the freeway, belts strapping them in against the seat. With a content sigh, Layla stopped kissing Warren, her lips at his ear.

"Good morning to you too," she said, laughing softly.

"A very good morning, hippie," Warren replied teasingly, his lips pressing against her neck.

"Have you decided what you're going to spend it on?" Layla asked, trying to hold back a moan as one of his hands slid up her spine, tendrils of heat spreading from his fingertips.

"Thought of a hundred things already, none of them practical or sensible," he added, chuckling. "You?"

"Secret Sanctum," she replied.

"You think you can do it up with that?"

"I can definitely get it started," Layla replied certainly.

She'd spent most of her weekend looking at real estate websites for a varying range of houses, apartments, buildings, and the like for something suitable to double as a Secret Sanctum. It was only a chance search that had given Layla an idea that she was now set on, and determined to make work. She just needed to find some information in _The Monster_ that night at work, and Layla's half of the winnings wouldn't be in her account for very long.

"Details, hippie," Warren growled in her ear when she didn't elaborate.

"Later, we're here now," Layla replied, kissing his cheek and turning to hold on to the bar in front of her seat.

Warren sighed, knowing she wouldn't tell him a thing no matter what he said or did, and turned to hold on just as the bus landed on the school's runway.

...

"I know you're planning something, Lay. Any chance you're going to fill me in on the details sometime soon?" Zach muttered.

Layla looked at him in surprise, both for his words, and the fact that he was talking of it so openly, even if they were the only two in the corridor. She'd been held back after Mad Science and was running late for lunch, but Layla had assumed that Zach waiting by her locker was something that Warren had organised.

She didn't reply for a moment, reaching inside herself where the vine was curled and waiting, searching for some sort of response to Zach like she'd had with Wendy. There was an ache in response, but not much more than that. However, in the same moment, Layla knew that it wouldn't take long for Zach to become more _permanent_.

"Not yet, Zach. Just give it time. I'll let you know when you're ready."

"Don't ... just don't leave me out, 'kay? Don't do anything without me," Zach pleaded.

Smiling, Layla nodded. "I'll try... You're probably not going to do anything without Ethan, are you?" she asked as they headed to the cafeteria.

"I might," he replied, but sounded uncertain to his own ears.

"Maybe work on that then. I don't think I'd be doing this if I didn't have Warren with me," she admitted.

"Have you done anything yet?" Zach asked curiously.

"I've negotiated with my Great Aunt. I'll give you those details later too, when you're ready."

He didn't look entirely appeased, but when they entered the cafeteria, Zach started talking about a movie he'd gone to on the weekend, animating the explosions and car chases with actions and loud noises to accompany his explanations. Layla smiled, nodding and laughing in all the right places, and responding when she thought it necessary.

"I'm going to sit with Larry and the boys for lunch today. I'll see you later," Layla said sweetly, kissing Warren's cheek and going to leave.

Warren grabbed her hand before she could go, glowering up at her. "Details first, hippie."

She laughed as if he'd said the most amusing thing in the world, taking her hand out of his grasp. "You honestly thought you'd get them here?" Layla asked, going over to where Larry, Adam, and Craig were sitting, saving a seat for her.

Warren scowled at her retreating form, muttering under his breath.

"Hey, don't worry about it, man. I've got to wait weeks before I hear _anything_," Zach muttered sympathetically.

Warren looked at him in surprise, wondering if Zach was talking about what he thought he was.

"What are you two talking about?" Ethan asked, looking between them with a frown.

"Layla's job. The local election's coming up, so she's going to be busy," Warren replied.

His frown deepened, making it clear that Ethan didn't entirely believe Warren's response. Zach started talking about the movie he'd seen on the weekend again, stating that he wanted to see it for a second time. Realising that it was Zach's subtle way of asking him out, Ethan nodded, grinning.

...

Half an hour before school finished that afternoon, Principal Powers came on the PA, announcing that a supervillain was terrorising Maxville below, and all students were to stay inside until further notice.

TV screens were brought into the classrooms for students to watch the fight between this villain and the Commander and Jetstream. The villain introduced himself as Iceman (Layla could imagine Warren groaning and wanting to hit his head on the desk at the horrifyingly lame name), and stated the usual villainous things about defeating the Commander and Jetstream, about his reign over the city, and generally monologuing instead of fighting.

Surprisingly, his ability actually kept the two heroes at bay for some time. Iceman made the atmosphere so heavy that they could feel the cold temperature inside Sky High, and Jetstream was unable to stay up in the air at a high height. The moment she was close enough to the ground, Iceman froze the Commander so he couldn't move and punch his way out of the ice he'd been encased in. With her husband suddenly much heavier than usual, Jetstream couldn't hold him up, and had to fly to the ground to put him down so she wouldn't drop him. Placing him on top of a vent in the sidewalk, Jetstream flew in the opposite direction in an attempt to distract Iceman while the Commander thawed out.

Her tactic worked and the Iceman followed her, freezing things around her as he attempted to capture her in ice as well. Despite being close to the ground, Jetstream was able to dodge the incoming onslaughts of ice, weaving in and out of structures and buildings to avoid being captured. Thick pillars of ice hit buildings and cars alike, narrowly missing the Channel Five reporter's van, as the news chopper had been grounded due to the heavy atmosphere as well.

One of the news reporters had snuck past the fighting duo to get a closer camera shot of the Commander as he was almost completely thawed out. His movement went unnoticed by both Jetstream and the Iceman. As the Commander was facing the opposite way, the news reporter was subsequently covered in shards of ice and hit with the Commander's full strength as he burst from his frozen confines. The cameraman's gasp could be clearly heard when the reporter fell to the ground, a large lump on his head, a dark bruise already forming, and blood starting to ooze from the back of his head where he'd hit the asphalt.

"Oh shit, I think he's dead," the cameraman groaned, sounding sickened.

The camera view changed as he moved to the reporter to check his pulse. For a long moment, the TV screens in Sky High all went black. The picture returned suddenly, with Brian Anderson, the anchor at the TV station stating that everything was fine, and they were just having a technical difficulty. By the time the cameras returned to the scene, the fight was already over. The Commander had run to his wife's aid the moment he'd burst free from the ice, and the fight was over in a matter of minutes. Jetstream distracted Iceman long enough for the Commander to punch him, knocking the supervillain out cold.

There was a flash of the news reporter's body being zipped up in a black bag as the TV station tried to switch from the Commander and Jetstream waving to the cameras to the anchor's camera once more. Brian Anderson did his usual sign off with an exorbitant amount of gratitude for the Commander and Jetstream, but Layla noted that it seemed a little forced this time, and Brian was looking green around the edges.

Principal Powers came over the PA once more, sounding somewhat hesitant as she announced that everyone could leave in an orderly fashion to the buses. Most of the students were quiet as they left the classrooms, and the silence continued even as the buses left Sky High.

When the bus' jet-engine exhausts were at their loudest, Layla turned to Warren, her mouth at his ear.

"I think I can use this to our advantage."

"How?"

Grinning, Layla detailed her idea to him. Warren was impressed at her cunning to turn what had been an accident into something like this.

"That will definitely work. You have to time it just right though, or the Mayor's not going to agree to it."

Layla nodded. "I think that there's going to be enough fuss raised over this that addressing it earlier will help the Mayor look good."

"Oh, you definitely have to say something like that to him. Mention the election, and he'll agree to it before you've even said a thing," Warren said, chuckling against her skin.

She grinned at him brightly and then settled herself against him, his arm around her shoulders, and her hand resting in his.

...

On arriving at work, Layla found that everyone was running around, shouting instructions to each other over the noise of phones ringing in every cubicle.

"Oh, Layla. You're here..." Ms. Peace said, looking slightly crestfallen. "As you can see, we're busy at the moment. If you could just sit with _The Monster_ until this is over? We've got a hell of a mess to clean up," she said distractedly when her phone began to ring again.

Passing the Mayor's office, Layla saw him shouting into the phone about damages to cars, buildings, how much it would cost to repair and reconstruct the office building that had been almost destroyed, and how the melting ice leaking into the vent below the street had caused some sort of pipe damage.

"And that's on top of the funeral costs that the PR department's already agreed to for that idiotic reporter getting in the way!" he yelled.

Seeing Layla standing at the doorway, his fierce expression changed to one of abstract horror, and he hurried to shut his office door firmly.

A loud hacking and coughing sounded behind her, and Layla turned to see the Mayor's personal assistant looking absolutely miserable as he coughed into a large handkerchief.

"Are you all right?" she asked with a slight frown.

"Hairball that won't come out," he replied, reminding Layla all too graphically that his power was to shift into a cat.

"Oh, I hope it does soon," Layla said as sympathetically as she could manage, leaving quickly to the office that housed _The Monster_.

Leaving the door open so she could hear what was happening, the noise gradually began to die down after a few hours. When it was almost back to normal, Ms. Peace found Layla tidying up the newest batch of files for _The Monster_.

"You seem to have tamed it well," she said with a quick grin.

"Thanks; I'm just glad it's staying the way I left it. I'd much prefer to put everything away myself since I know where it all is," Layla replied. "How's it going out there? It was a bit hectic earlier."

"That's an understatement," Ms. Peace said, laughing. "I tell you, it's usually more work to clean up after a superhero than it is for them to defeat the villain!"

"How so? I mean, I know there was some damage to buildings, and ... that reporter," Layla added.

"Yeah, there was that. It's not the first time that reporter tried to get up close during a fight like that. This time he just wasn't so lucky to escape," she said, sighing heavily. "He was a good guy, and didn't deserve to go out like that."

They were both silent for a few moments as a sign of respect for the dead.

"So what else needs to be cleaned up after the villain's defeated?" Layla asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Well, there's the damages to the buildings, so that takes time, money, and people that we can't often spare. People's cars were destroyed, so they'll be wanting compensation in some way or another. The ice that melted had some sort of super freezing ability, and it resolidified after melting off of the Commander, so we've got people trying to fix the pipes that it dripped on to. The buildings that were damaged will have to be closed until they've been fixed, and since there were about twenty buildings damaged, it means that some people might be out of work for a month. We only have so many contractors on file to help repair things... We were lucky to get the weather supers in to get the frost out of the atmosphere. Good thing we did, or else you would've been stuck up there for a lot longer."

"So you've contacted the AAA Contractors already?" Layla asked.

Ms. Peace frowned. "No, the one on file was Maxville Construction. Who are AAA Contractors?"

"They're the super contractors. I thought you'd get them in because they've got heroes who can fix it all up quicker. I think they've even got a panel beater on staff as well... I saw a few of the documents when I was taming _The Monster_," Layla admitted at her curious look.

"Don't tell anyone else that, and you'll be fine. But that's a damned good idea. Come with me," she said, tugging Layla out of the room and down to the Mayor's office. Knocking, she waited for a few seconds before opening the door. "Excuse me, Mr. Mayor?"

"Yes, what is it?"

Ms. Peace nudged Layla forward, nodding at her to speak.

Licking her lips nervously, Layla started. "I was told that you got Maxville Construction in to repair the damaged buildings, but they're non-super workers. The AAA Contractors are all supered staff, and they'd get the job done a lot quicker. They charge a bit more, but the overall cost will be less, since you'll be able to have people back at work sooner and not have to compensate for them," Layla added quickly.

For a moment, the Mayor just looked at her, blinking in suprise. "That's a damned good idea. Get that going, would you, Nina?" he asked, looking to Ms. Peace. "You, stay here... What's your name again?" the Mayor asked, smiling at Layla broadly.

"Layla."

"Excellent. Lovely to meet you, Layla. You've been working here long?"

"A bit over a month," she replied, uncertain as to where this was going, and trying not to get too offended at the fact that he couldn't remember her name or that they'd already met.

"Excellent, wonderful," he muttered distractedly. "Jorge!" the Mayor called loudly.

With another cough and a loud wheeze, his personal assistant looked into the room.

"You're fired. Get your things and get out of here. I don't want to see you until the next family dinner, and even then, that will be under protest."

Jorge looked relieved, leaving the office, grabbing his bag and exiting the building with a speed that Layla almost envied.

"Congratulations, Layla, you've just been promoted to my personal assistant," the Mayor said, shaking Layla's hand.

"Uh, what?" she asked in surprise.

"Nina will sort out the details with you. Just think, you'll get to be my personal assistant, and handle things just like this! I'm sure you're a very ambitious young lady, and you'll do just fine. You know how to run things, obviously. I have to go now, I have a dinner with some very important people. Take some overtime to tidy up your new desk!" the Mayor said on his way out, seeing the mess of hair on the PA's desk.

"What just happened?" Layla asked Ms. Peace who had stepped into the room after the Mayor's departure.

"Congratulations, you've just been subjected to one of the Mayor's infamous mood swings," Nina said, grinning.

"I just got Jorge's job. Is that even legal? Shouldn't it have gone through job advertisers?"

She laughed. "The Mayor has been wanting to fire Jorge ever since he hired him. If he's ever questioned, he'll just say that it was an internal application and you were the best candidate. Don't worry, that's how I got my job."

Layla still felt a little stunned at the intensity of how everything had just changed. "He does know I'm still in school, right? I can't really be a PA if I'm not here... Can I?"

"You'll be amazed what you can arrange online nowadays. Just be stern with him, make sure you get all of his appointments done at least two months in advance, and you'll be fine. Besides, if you can't handle it, just tell me and I'll help you. Jorge hasn't been well enough to lift a finger lately, but the Mayor's still managed to get his dry cleaning every week."

Layla noted that there was a hint of bitterness in Ms. Peace's tone. "You didn't want to be his PA, did you?"

Her question seemed to startle Nina, and she laughed sourly. "Hell no. I've already got enough to do as it is. But if you're ever given something for the Mayor regarding giving me a raise, put them between a bunch of other papers and he'll sign them without looking," Ms. Peace said with a wink.

Laughing hesitantly, Layla left the Mayor's office with Ms. Peace, and began to clean her brand new desk.

...

End of the twenty-second chapter.

Thank you for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty-Three

...

"Excuse me, Mr. Mayor?" Layla asked, knocking on his door as she looked into his office.

"Yes, what is it, Lily?" the Mayor replied, looking distracted.

"Layla," she corrected.

"Right, Layla," he amended quickly.

"As your new PA, I had an idea that I thought might be useful," Layla said. Seeing his sceptical look, she continued before he could shoot her idea down, "It's an idea I thought of that would reduce the risk of reporters being injured, hurt, or worse, killed, like the reporter yesterday. As I'm sure you know, the election's coming up, and people are going to judge you on what sort of solution you think of to stop the unnecessary harm of people in the town when a villain is defeated."

Layla watched the Mayor for a moment, and she could almost see the cogs in his brain working overtime to think how her idea could benefit him.

"Tell me this idea of yours then, Layla."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor," she said with a quick smile. "There are two aspects to this idea, with the first coming to a compromise with the local media to ensure that they aren't put in any danger; the second aspect involves installing surveillance cameras throughout Maxville that the media can access and use in order to get the required footage they need. It sounds expensive, I know," Layla added at his expression, "but it's a small price to pay to save the lives of both reporters and any civilians that may get caught in the fighting area. If the cameras are used to record footage, then any damages to buildings or cars can be verified immediately, and there will be less expenses spent on unnecessary contractors."

The Mayor seemed to be thinking about her suggestion seriously. He looked up at her with a slight frown. "Exactly what sort of compromise would be required with the media? They don't take kindly to people telling them what to do."

"Just a small thing to ensure that they don't get in so close to the fight that they can be harmed, say a three-block perimeter around the area that is being fought in? If there's no need for the heroes to worry over civilian lives, then they'll be able to defeat the villains faster," she added when the Mayor didn't look overly convinced.

"They might agree to a two-block radius, but three is pushing it. State three, but don't go below two when you've organised to speak to the press about it next month," the Mayor said authoritatively.

"Next month? Do you really think it's a good idea to wait so long? I mean, with the election coming up, won't they want some sort of response to this tragedy that they can report on to the general public?"

"Yes... Good thinking. You can do it tomorrow afternoon then, gives you time to prepare your speech," he mused, then called out for Ms. Peace, who stuck her head in the office a moment later. "Get Layla the contact details for every media and press hound in town, would you?"

"All right," Nina replied, and there was an itching at the Mayor's head that he couldn't resist.

"Layla's doing a press conference tomorrow, where she'll suggest an idea that'll stop any more of them getting in the way of the heroes saving the town and getting killed again," he stated.

Not too impressed with his vague answer, Ms. Peace nodded briefly. Layla thanked the Mayor quickly, and left after her, telling her the idea in a rush of words.

"I really didn't think he'd agree to it though," she added breathlessly. "I've never had to talk to adults like this before, and I'm really nervous about it. I have to think of a speech to say for tomorrow afternoon. Oh god, I'm already feeling sick. What if I throw up?" Layla asked, her eyes wide.

Nina frowned, still trying to process the girl's fast-paced words about her idea. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You just need to speak to them with authority and don't back down. They'll probably try to take advantage of the fact that you're young and somewhat inexperienced, but don't let them walk over you... Actually, they're pretty ruthless. It might be best if I went with you. Don't worry, I won't tamper with them; I'll just make sure they don't harass you in any way."

"Is that really okay? You'd really do that for me? Oh, thank you!" Layla said, hugging her tightly. Then she stepped back quickly, coughing in embarrassment. "Sorry, it's just ... I'm really hoping they'll agree to this idea, and as you can tell, I'm a bit excited too. I'll have to put all of that energy into writing my speech," she said determinedly.

"Right, you go do that while I get the contact details for everyone. It shouldn't take too long since they've all got email addresses now, and you don't have to individually call them like the old days... Don't worry, I'll tell you what to write in the email so they'll all show up," Nina offered with a smile.

Thanking her once more, Layla went back to her desk to try and write something up for her press conference the next day. She hid her smile and buried her emotions at the thought of both the Mayor and Ms. Peace falling for her dramatics hook, line, and sinker.

...

"If you don't give me the details right now, hippie, I'm going to set fire to the whole damned bus," Warren muttered, finally out of patience after days of waiting.

Layla laughed brightly, kissing his lips gently. "I was waiting until you were no longer grounded. Now I can show you," she added, pressing the button on the bus.

A few moments later it came to a stop, and they both disembarked, Layla thanking the driver over her shoulder. Warren frowned when he realised that they were on the outskirts of Maxville and nowhere near any housing developments that he could see. _What had happened to wanting to rebuild an old house into a Secret Sanctum_?

As he turned around on the spot, trying to determine just what Layla had in mind, Warren noticed that she was walking down the street and no longer beside him. Muttering under his breath, he jogged to catch up to her.

"What on earth are you thinking, hippie? There's nothing out here," he said.

"Exactly. That bus goes by once every three hours, and I swear, for the next two hours and fifty-nine minutes, there'll be no one and nothing out here but us," Layla said.

"How are we getting back into Maxville then?" Warren asked pointedly.

"We wait. I'm sure we can find something to occupy the time," she replied, grinning at him over her shoulder. "But first, those details you so desperately wanted."

Warren could have powered up in frustration at that moment.

"Coming?" she called, and he saw that she was walking into a field off to the side of the road.

Still confused, but more than curious, Warren hurried after Layla.

"Right, stand there," she said, moving him slightly so he was directly in front of her. "Be quiet, and just watch," Layla added sternly when he opened his mouth to say something.

Not entirely happy, Warren simply nodded in return and waited.

"I was thinking of a forest here," Layla said.

Behind him, and blocking them from view of the road completely, a forest of trees erupted from the earth. The trees continued on either side of them, creating a large U-shape around them.

"Then, a house right here," she said, thin and leafless trees rising from the earth. "Entrance right there where you are," - two trees entwined together above his head to form a rough doorway - "a training room on the right hand side of the house, and on the left there'd be a changing room, kitchen, bathroom, and small laundry."

As Layla spoke, trees formed the individual rooms, and Warren could see the structure taking shape before his eyes. He waited for her to continue building the Secret Sanctum that they'd drawn in her notebook. When that seemed to be all she planned, Warren turned to look at her in confusion. He stayed silent for a moment longer, unsure if she was just gathering up her powers for the next lot of rooms. Layla seemed finished though, and not because she'd used up her power for the night.

"Where's everything else? The library? The meditation room? Hell, somewhere to sleep?" he asked, completely and utterly confused.

Layla smiled slowly and looked down to his feet. Frowning, he followed her gaze, but didn't see anything special or out of the ordinary.

"Care to elaborate, hippie?"

The tree-built house around him sank down into the ground, and as the earth stayed parted, Warren could see new 'rooms' taking shape beneath his feet.

"You mean ... you want to build _under_ the house?" Warren asked, looking up at her as the earth became smooth once more.

Layla grinned broadly. "Not just under the house. _Under the whole field_. The trees will keep the earth strong, so then I can use their roots to alter large chunks beneath the ground, hollow out entire areas, and create a whole hive of rooms and passageways. Better than one crummy Sanctum, that's for sure," Layla muttered, looking at the earth as if it held the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

"Right. So who is going to make this underground hive then?" Warren asked. "Your trees might get the underground part working, but if you're planning on making it into a huge liveable area, then you'll need electricians, plumbing, and whatever the hell else is needed. I don't think my shovelling skills will help much," he added quickly.

She laughed, kissing him briefly, her lips curved into a smile. Before Layla could answer, the trees behind her started to shrink, and her body swayed slightly. She groaned in pain, and the forest disappeared in a matter of seconds. Warren hurried to hold her upright and saw that she was covered in goosebumps.

"Just let them go. We'll go wait by that bus stop, all right?" he murmured, trailing his hands down her arms to warm her.

Layla nodded and moved closer to Warren so he could wrap his arms around her properly. He grinned against her hair, his arms flaming briefly against her skin. Walking slowly, he guided her back to the bus stop. Since it was an out of town stop, there were no seats nor any cover available, and they still had two hours to wait. Just as luck would have it, it started to rain thirty minutes later.

"Warren?"

"Hmm?" he replied, trying to keep from shivering in the freezing rain.

"Kiss me?" Layla asked, sliding into his lap and putting her arms around his neck.

Surprised at her request, but not willing to deny her, Warren kissed Layla as best as he could manage while being pelted with freezing raindrops. It took him a few minutes to realise that he wasn't getting soaked, and he pulled away to look up. A large leafy vine was above them, blocking the rain.

"Take it down, Layla. I'll be fine," Warren said, even as the rain came down harder.

"Just keep kissing me, and we'll both be fine," she replied, drawing him to her once more.

Deciding that he didn't have much choice, Warren kissed her again, trying to keep his body from shivering as the temperature around them continued to drop. When they pulled away for air, Warren lit his entire body, trying to keep the flames as low and hot as possible without burning Layla. She shook her head at him, wrapped her hand around his wrist and kissed him again, flames licking their way along her skin. It didn't burn as she thought it might, but it still hurt, but she found that she _liked_ the pain. Layla kissed Warren harder, her fingernails digging into his shoulders sharply. He groaned against her mouth, and she felt him shift beneath her.

"Stop, Layla. Fuck... Just ... Just give me a minute to get under control," Warren muttered.

"You liked that?" Layla asked curiously.

He nodded briefly, but wouldn't meet her eyes. Grinning slightly, Layla moved so she was straddling Warren's waist and kissed him, watching him intently.

"So did I," she admitted against his lips.

Warren didn't seem to believe her at first, but then she slipped her hands under her shirt and raked her nails down his chest, and he groaned in desire. Seeing that she was waiting for something in retribution, Warren trailed his fingertips down her back, feather-light touches against her spine. Then, before she could say something, he slipped his hands under her buttocks, lifting her up and giving her a resounding smack. Layla gasped in surprise, but any pain she felt was soon replaced by desire, Warren's hand stroking and soothing her.

"I'm not going to be able to sit for the rest of the week without being sore," she murmured, her pout turning to a grin when she looked at him. "That turns you on, doesn't it?"

"As much as it turns you on," Warren replied.

Layla laughed, pressing a kiss to his lips briefly. "Good to know. Come on, the rain's gone now. Let's walk down to the stop before this one. It shouldn't take too long," she cajoled.

Warren muttered but stood up, brushing off his pants with a grimace. Layla took his hand and pulled him onto the road with her, walking down the striped lines in the middle of the road.

"You're going to get hit by a car," Warren called as she jumped from line to line, laughing with each accomplishment.

"No, I won't," she called back over her shoulder.

"You will if you're not careful, hippie," he muttered, hurrying to catch up to her.

"I'm just trying to get some feeling back into my butt. You hit it hard, you know," Layla said with a pout.

Warren went to apologise, but then he saw the smile that was tugging at the corner of her lips and he scowled. "Not funny, hippie," he muttered.

"Sure it is. Besides, I made you think about spanking me again," Layla said, grinning.

"Like _that's_ hard," Warren said with a heavy sigh. He picked Layla up and put her over his shoulder. "This'll stop you from jumping around like a damn rabbit."

Layla shook her head, then grinned and reached down to smack Warren's butt.

"Hippie! What'd you do that for?" Warren asked, trying to glare at her over his shoulder.

"You spanked me, I spank you. Those are the spanking rules," she said with a laugh.

"You've made rules?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course. I don't believe in flawed systems, but I'm not an anarchist."

"Of course," Warren muttered.

"I **can** walk on my own now."

"You'll stop jumping around like a deranged rabbit?"

"Yeah, probably."

Shaking his head, Warren set Layla down on her feet, stepping back in case she started jumping again. Raising her eyebrow at him, Layla turned and walked down the road casually. He hurried to catch up to her, muttering. After walking in silence for fifteen minutes, they could see the bus stop up ahead, this one with a covered seat. The air was still cold enough for Warren's power to be negatively affected by it, and they ran over together, eager for the warmth the small enclosure would provide.

"Don't worry; the bus is only another fifteen minutes away or so," Layla assured Warren, snuggling into his lap to keep him warm.

"It better have heating," he muttered, wrapping his arms around her body.

"I'm sure it will," she said with a smile, kissing him to take his mind off of being cold.

His hand ran up her spine to cup the back of her head, his fingers threaded through her hair. Deepening the kiss, Warren moved Layla so she was sitting astride his lap. They became so involved with their kiss that it wasn't until Layla saw the bus' headlights from behind her closed eyes that she realised they were about to miss their ride back into town. Pulling away sharply, she stood and waved for the driver to stop, Warren cursing behind her.

The bus driver stopped a further way down the road, but waited for them to board and take their seats before taking off again. Warren relaxed slightly in the warm bus, but had to push away the temptation to roast the driver for interrupting his make out session with Layla. He wasn't sure if she was as annoyed as he was, but for a moment, Warren was positive that the weed-covered paddocks on the side of the road were in bloom and covered in thorns.

...

"I understand that everyone is in mourning for their fellow journalist right now, but I believe that this meeting is important and necessary to ensure that this tragedy doesn't happen again," Layla said. "I have some suggestions that I think we should work on together in order to ensure everyone's safety."

No one answered, but she figured that they were listening since they were all looking towards her, and so Layla continued with her small speech.

"Now, the first thing I'm suggesting is to create a three-block perimeter around a superhero and villain's fight. This is for both civilians and other super-powered people, not just yourselves," Layla added quickly when a few of the reporters looked ready to argue.

Waiting for them to settle down and give their attention back to her, Layla watched each of the gathered reporters calmly. Nina was standing behind her, but no one seemed to be itching or in pain, so when they turned back to her again, Layla knew that it was due to their own curiosity.

"The second suggestion is to keep each other out of trouble. There's no point making these rules ... suggestions," she amended quickly, "only for you to try and sneak past any perimeters and get yourselves killed.

"My third suggestion is one that I hope will benefit both yourselves and your employers," Layla said, her words garnering more interest than the first two suggestions. "I have suggested to the Mayor that security cameras be placed throughout Maxville. These cameras will be turned on during a fight and each of you will be given access to the feeds in order for you to get your required footage."

"So you're not planning on using the cameras to keep tabs on the residents of Maxville?"

"Of course not. The crime rate in Maxville is the lowest in the state thanks to the Commander and Jetstream, so there would be no reason to keep the cameras on at any time other than a fight for your own requirements," Layla replied.

"You really think we'll stay three blocks away from a fight, even if those cameras ever did get put in place?" one reporter scoffed.

"I did say that these were suggestions," Layla reminded, looking at them all. "How far would you be willing to stay away from a fight then?"

"One block."

"Not happening," she replied immediately, shaking her head. "There would be no point in continuing this meeting if you were only going to stay back one lousy block."

"One and a half."

"What's that, an extra five, ten metres? You do realise that the Commander can throw a car over the top of Banks and Livingston Lawyers?" Layla asked, referring to Maxville's largest skyscraper at fifty storeys high. "Three blocks, and once the fight is over, you'll be able to take as many photographs of the winners as you can for five whole minutes," she bargained.

"How will **you** organise that?" one of the reporters asked, her tone caught between disbelief and curiosity.

"As the Mayor's PA I have connections, and just as I am discussing this with you, I will be able to discuss the same options with the Commander and Jetstream... Even if it is just over the phone," Layla added when a few of the reporters looked far too pleased at the prospect of getting an exclusive interview through her.

There were a few murmurs among the journalists, but Layla waited patiently for them to discuss and decide amongst themselves. This wouldn't work if they didn't agree to her terms.

"We'll make the perimeter two and a half blocks, and ten minutes of questions and photos."

"I will consider it, and inform the Commander and Jetstream of your compromise when I am able to talk to them," Layla said with a curt nod.

_It was better than she had expected_.

"I'll contact you again regarding their decision and whether they agree to such a lengthy interview and photo time," she added.

A few people muttered, but before they could voice any of their grievances, a look of pain crossed their features and more than one scratched at their head. Layla looked behind her to see Ms. Peace glowering at the reporters.

"Let's go before they get over that," Nina muttered.

Layla nodded and left with her quickly. When they were in Ms. Peace's car, Layla looked to her with a slight frown.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," she replied, her tone clipped and blunt.

Nodding briefly, Layla looked ahead and they both lapsed into silence.

...

As they were nearing the Peace residence, Nina pulled the car into a nearby parking lot, turning the key off in the ignition with trembling hands.

"I'm sorry, Layla. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, and I shouldn't have done that to those reporters either," she said, sounding as though she loathed herself for losing control like that. "They ... Being in there, in that room with them... It was just like I was living through Baron's trial all over again. Back then, I'd only ever been a hero, and had no idea just how ruthless the reporters were to get a story; to get a story that would _sell_. But then, during Baron's imprisonment, trial and subsequent gaoling, I learnt the hard way just how cruel they could be. I had journalists ringing up the house in the middle of the night, telling me that my husband would be freed the next day, just so they could get my reaction. I was followed constantly, and I couldn't even do grocery shopping without someone taking my photo. Being in that room, knowing that they probably wouldn't stick by anything they agreed to, I just ... I lost control for a moment."

Layla rummaged through her purse and brought out a small pack of tissues, offering them to Ms. Peace. She took one with a watery smile and dabbed at her tears before blowing her nose loudly.

"Oh, look at me. I'm such a mess," she said with a tear-filled laugh.

"Not at all. Thank you for sharing that with me, Ms. Peace. I'm not sure what I can do about it, but I'm hoping that these reporters will have more sense than to go against the rules that will be created to keep them - and those that they interview - safe from harm. It's probably very trivial, but I really hope it works."

"So do I, dear. No one should be hounded to the point where they pose a risk to themselves or others," she murmured, taking another tissue. "If you wouldn't mind walking the last few blocks up to the house, I might just take a few minutes to compose myself again. I don't want Warren to see me like this. He's hopeless when women cry," Ms. Peace said with another laugh that just didn't sound right.

"All right. Thank you for going with me, Ms. Peace. I really appreciate it," Layla said warmly, leaving the tissues beside her.

"You _can_ call me Nina," Ms. Peace said, attempting to smile despite taking another tissue from the small packet.

Nodding, Layla squeezed her hand gently before getting out of the car and closing the door. A brisk wind whipped around her, and she shivered, pulling her jacket closed tighter. Heading towards Warren's house, Layla kept her arms wrapped around her body to ward off the cold. Fifteen minutes later, she found that she had to shake her hands a few times before she could bring herself to make a fist to knock on the door.

"Hippie? Why the hell are you _blue_?" Warren asked, staring at her goosebump covered skin and her pale face.

"Walked for a bit," she replied with a smile, trying not to let her teeth chatter.

"Geez, are you trying to freeze to death? Get in here," Warren muttered, pulling her inside.

She almost moaned at the feel of his warm hand against her freezing skin. Layla heard the door close, but then Warren wrapped his arms around her tightly, and with a sound similar to a lighter striking, they were both completely covered in flames. Slowly starting to relax, Layla sighed contentedly as her body began to warm up in Warren's embrace.

"Better now?" he asked, looking down at her to gauge whether she was warm enough.

Layla smiled and nodded, raising up on her toes to kiss him, her fingers threaded through his hair. "Thank you," she murmured against his lips.

"You're welcome... What on earth made you want to walk in that freezing weather?" he muttered.

Shrugging noncommittally, Layla pulled away from him. "Just thought it would be good to go for a walk. I was still full of nervous energy after the meeting with the reporters."

"How'd it go?" Warren asked with a grin.

"Better than I'd anticipated. I just have to get the Stronghold's to agree, and it'll be set," Layla replied with an evil smile.

The door opened behind them, and Layla quickly stepped forward to get out of Nina's way, her face neutral once more.

"Oh, Layla, thank god. I wasn't thinking; I shouldn't have asked you..."

"Don't worry, Ms. Peace. I wanted to walk off that extra energy, and Warren was kind enough to warm me up," Layla added with a smile.

"I'm sure I told you to call me Nina," she replied, raising her eyebrow.

Warren looked between his girlfriend and his mother, wondering exactly what he was missing out on. Shaking his head, he turned and headed to the kitchen. "I'll cook dinner while you two sort your story out. Then you can tell me what happened."

"Never misses a trick, that one," Ms. Peace said with a roll of her eyes, and Layla stifled a laugh. "Well, might as well get our story straight in comfort. Let's go sit in the lounge room, and then we can discuss where you'll be sleeping for the night," she offered.

"All right," Layla said, trying not to go beet red at her words as she went down to the lounge room.

Nina grinned to herself and followed Layla at her own leisurely pace.

...

End of the twenty-third chapter.

Thanks for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

Read on, oh faithful ones...

...

Chapter Twenty-Four

...

On seeing the caller ID, Josie was more than surprised at who it was, but she had enough sense to leave the room before answering her phone. "Hello, Layla."

"Hello, Mrs. Stronghold," Layla said pleasantly. "I was wondering if I could make a time to talk with yourself and the Commander at your earliest convenience."

Josie was fairly sure that her jaw was hanging open at Layla's blunt request, and she had to wonder exactly what the girl wanted with their super alter-egos.

"It's in regards to the recent tragedy that occurred," Layla said, as if anticipating her question. "I don't know if your son has told you, but I'm working for the Mayor, and I've recently been promoted to PA. I've discussed a strategy with the media in order to keep them away from super-induced fights, and I need to discuss the terms with Jetstream and the Commander."

Finally, Josie's brain started working again, and she thought of her schedule for the next few days. _A house showing on Thursday afternoon, a contract signing on Friday afternoon, Will needed help with his science project and that would probably take most of the day if Steve got involved as he inevitably would..._

_Wait, Layla had said 'your son' instead of 'Will'. Just what had happened with them?! Will had simply said that they'd broken up, but if it was as mutual as he implied, then why would Layla go out of her way to not even say his name_?!

"Steve's out of town at the moment," Josie said carefully - _the Mayor had suggested the Commander lay low for a while, which had resulted in Steve sulking in the Secret Sanctum for the past three days instead_ - "So if you don't mind, you'll just be meeting with me. We _will_ talk about this," Josie added in her best _Mum_ voice, making it very clear that she wasn't talking about Layla's proposition.

"Oh," Layla said, sounding hesitant. "You may not like what I have to say."

"Nonsense; you are a sweet girl, and I'm sure there's a perfectly rational reason as to why you and Will broke up."

There was a moment of silence, and Josie felt her rational resolve failing; _their breakup _**_definitely_**_ wasn't as mutual as Will had implied_.

"Perhaps it would be best to discuss this face-to-face," Layla said finally. "When would you be able to meet with me?"

"This Saturday morning, if you're available," she replied.

_Will could do his Mad Science assignment with Steve, and it would be on their heads if he failed_. There was a tight feeling in her chest at that thought. _Well, she'd be able to fix up the assignment when she returned from talking with Layla_, Josie reasoned to herself.

They arranged to meet at a local café for brunch, and Josie disconnected from the call, trying to dispel the feeling of unease she felt about exactly what she would hear come Saturday morning.

...

Layla sat at the cafe, waiting for Josie patiently, despite the fact that she was half an hour late. Sipping at her herbal tea, she watched the shoppers passing by, laden with bags or pushing shopping trolleys with faulty wheels.

"Oh, Layla, I'm so sorry I'm late. I got caught up with the boys, and well, you know what they're like," Josie said as she sat down across from Layla.

"I completely understand, Mrs. Stronghold. Would you like tea or coffee?" Layla asked, indicating to the menu.

Fanning herself with the menu for a moment, Josie tried to calm herself. She was surprised to realise that she felt **nervous** about this meeting. _It was ridiculous to feel that way, of course. Even if she hadn't seen Layla since her mother's funeral, or that she'd been running so very late and Layla was being so pleasant to her_...

Josie had tested Will the night before, and at the mere mention of Layla's name he had gone very quiet and answered things in vague monosyllables. Then he had mentioned something about needing help with his homework, and Josie had slipped into her overprotective and perfectionist 'Mum mode', helping Will with his Algebra homework for three hours straight. It was only when she'd gone to bed, her mind swimming with x's and y's, that Josie realised that Will had completely avoided the question. She'd spent the next few hours thinking, remembering how he'd done similar things over the course of his childhood. Especially if it had been to do with his power, Will would change the topic or ask for help, and the question would be lost until they remembered it the next time. Josie realised that it was his way of avoiding confrontation. She had tossed and turned, eventually falling into a restless sleep, plagued with thoughts of things her son might have done to ruin his ten-year friendship with Layla.

"I think I'll have a strong coffee," Josie said, standing and leaving to the counter before Layla could reply.

Layla hid her smile, sipping at her tea again. Mrs. Stronghold only drank strong coffee when she was worried about Will. When she was worried about Mr. Stronghold, then it would be a hazelnut infused coffee; if she was calm then it would be a cappuccino. Layla was almost positive that Mrs. Stronghold's ability to fly arose from her over-consumption of caffeine.

"What would you like to talk about first?" Layla asked pleasantly when she had returned with her very strong coffee.

Again, Josie was surprised at Layla's bluntness. She supposed it was good though; _who really wanted to do all of that back and forth when things just needed to be said_?

"Tell me what happened between you and Will."

Layla sighed and looked down at her teacup. "That's just the thing, Mrs. Stronghold. Nothing happened between us. It happened between Will and Magenta."

For a moment, Josie simply stared, trying to wrap her mind around Layla's words. The expression that crossed her face the moment she realised that her son had cheated was priceless, and Layla could have sworn that Mrs. Stronghold actually flew up out of her seat slightly.

"You mean to say that he was unfaithful to you?" Josie asked.

Layla was somewhat surprised at the hostility in Mrs. Stronghold's voice, and she wondered just what had happened in her life to make this conversation hit a nerve. As she was thinking about it, Layla vaguely remembered a villain called Lustful who had almost defeated the Commander.

_Maybe there was more to that fight than had been reported_?

Realising that Mrs. Stronghold was still waiting for an answer, Layla nodded.

"Are you all right?" Josie asked, reaching out to hold her hand.

Layla moved her hands to her lap, and gave a watery smile. "Some days, I think I am. Others are harder to deal with. Especially since I have to see him in class every day."

"In class? So... You're on the Hero track now?" she commented in surprise, too preoccupied to really notice that Layla had pulled away from her on purpose.

Layla smiled a bit brighter, trying not to seem as though she was the ex-girlfriend to be pitied, but rather the strong ex-girlfriend who was finally doing something right for herself.

"Yes. I was transferred over a month or two ago. It's one of the reasons I was able to get this job working for the Mayor," Layla added, bringing the conversation back to their main reason for meeting.

"Congratulations on the new job then," Josie said, smiling brightly. "Now, why don't you tell me why you organised this meeting?"

Smiling and nodding, Layla detailed the same plan that she'd given to the journalists a few days before. Instead of offering the journalists' agreement terms, however, Layla stipulated that the journalists had agreed to stay back in a three-block radius so long as they had fifteen minutes of Jetstream and the Commander's time after a fight for pictures, questions, and the like.

"Fifteen minutes? That's quite a lot of time, especially considering how many villains we defeat every year," Josie murmured, a bit put off by the whole thing. She wasn't entirely sure about the cameras either, but that was something she could discuss with the Mayor later.

"If you have another proposition, I can take it back to the journalists?" Layla offered, bringing out a small notepad and pen.

"Three blocks and ten minutes. Five for each of us," Josie said.

"All right. I'll see if I can get them to agree to it. They weren't very happy about the three blocks in the first place," she murmured.

"Well... Maybe try twelve minutes then. It might make up for the distance."

"Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you, or the Commander," Layla added as an afterthought.

"An extra minute from each of us isn't too long," Josie said, waving off her concern.

"Thank you so much for meeting me about this, Mrs. Stronghold. I really appreciate it."

"You're most welcome. If there's anything else I can do for you, please don't hesitate to call me," Josie replied, smiling broadly.

There was a 'Best Ex-Boyfriend's Mother' look on her face that made Layla want to cringe, and her voice was more 'Mrs. Stronghold, Real Estate Agent' rather than 'fellow human being'.

"I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I have to catch a bus to my Great Aunt's home, and I don't want to miss it," Layla said, reaching for her bag.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll just finish up here and be on my way," Josie said with another cringe-worthy smile.

"Thank you again. Goodbye, Mrs. Stronghold," Layla called, hurrying out of the small café.

...

Warren waited for Layla to arrive impatiently. She had promised to meet him after her meeting with Mrs. Stronghold, and she was almost fifteen minutes late. When Layla did arrive five minutes later, Warren didn't recognise her at first, and wondered why this woman was walking towards him like she knew him.

"Sorry I took so long; I had to get changed. How do I look?"

"Unrecognisable," Warren said truthfully.

Layla's hair was pulled back tightly, two chopsticks sticking out of the neat bun. Her clothes had a distinct Asian cut to them, and the makeup she was wearing lent to a more Oriental than Western style. If she were alive, her own mother would have had a difficult time recognising her.

"Good, that's the idea," Layla replied with a quick smile.

With that exchange done, they both walked into Stronghold Realty to talk to Mr. Stronghold.

...

"Tell me again how you sold the two acre block?" Josie asked that night after dinner.

Will was upstairs in his room lifting weights. (She'd come home, glared at him and taken away all of his television and Xbox privileges until further notice. Despite not getting a reason for his grounding, Will had seen the look on her face and decided not to argue it.)

"Well, it was very easy, really. She wanted something big enough to build some sort of forest on. A nature trail or something. It was difficult to understand some parts with her accent," Steve added, frowning. "I kept trying to talk her into seeing that large five acre block down near Westville, but she'd already seen this other one and had her heart set on it. I couldn't persuade her otherwise."

"Why didn't you call me?" Josie asked, thinking of the money that he had cost them.

"Well, she was very adamant to buy something then and there. I couldn't even answer my own phone without her making a fuss," Steve said, shrugging. "But the good news is," he added, continuing before Josie could interrupt, "The land sold for $910,000."

Josie almost fell off her chair. "You sold a two acre block for nearly _one million dollars_?!"

The Realtor's Sales Award trip to Hawaii was so close that she could almost taste the ocean salt in the air.

"Yes I did," Steve said proudly. "I even brought the contract home to prove it," he added, heading over to where his briefcase was sitting by the front door.

Josie forced herself to lower back down into her seat. She would have to start packing, and organise someone to look after Will (even though he'd probably protest and say he didn't need a babysitter, after that party last year, she didn't quite trust him not to ruin her perfect house).

Steve presented the contract with a flourish and Josie took it with trembling hands. She read over the contract twice, and her delight faded very quickly. Her feet firmly on the ground, Josie stood up and looked at her husband angrily.

"Are you _trying_ to send us bankrupt, Steve?!" she demanded.

"Of course not. What's wrong?" he asked, taking the contract back and pushing his glasses off his head. _He really couldn't see a damn thing with those things on_.

"You sold the two acre property for $91,000. _You left off a zero_. You just sold the land for **_$109,000 less_** than what it's worth!"

Josie stalked off, muttering about brain and brawn, and with a scream of frustration, she flew straight out of the door. Steve didn't dare try to go after her. He'd done that once (it had involved two surveillance teams, a rather expensive GPS device, breaking into international cameras, and a Black Ops team) and after the consequences of everything that had happened that time around, Steve would rather have faced Royal Pain all over again.

Throwing the contract on the table, Steve called out to Will that his mother was gone, and that they should shoot some pool. Will was in the Secret Sanctum in a matter of seconds. Even without the power of flight, Steve was only a few seconds behind him.

...

"The Commander and Jetstream have come back with a counter offer," Layla informed the gathered media representatives. "If you stay back three blocks, then you'll be given twelve minutes to interview, take photos, etc. That's an even six minutes for each of them."

There was a long moment of silence, and then a few of the journalists began to murmur something to the ones beside them, and the room filled with a buzz of noise. Layla waited patiently, trying to figure out if the noise was good or bad for her. Ms. Peace had volunteered to wait outside the room this time, not trusting herself to be in the same room as the reporters again.

"Twelve minutes for each of us?" one reporter asked.

"Not all of you. One representative for each paper, magazine, news station, etc. Otherwise the Commander and Jetstream would be spending all of their time answering your questions instead of defeating villains," Layla said with a grin, and received a few chuckles in response.

There were a few more minutes of whispering and talking amongst themselves. Layla forced herself to focus so she wouldn't let the plants in the room burst into bloom. It would reveal her as a super, and she didn't want this group knowing that information. They'd probably work out that she had some way of contacting the Commander and Jetstream that had nothing to do with the Mayor, and she'd never be left alone.

"_Channel Five_ agrees," Brian Anderson stated finally.

"So do _The Morning Sun_," a journalist said.

The journalists and reporters began to agree to the terms one by one until only three people were left who still hadn't answered.

"Do you have your decision yet? It has to be all of you, or none of you," Layla prompted.

Two quickly agreed, but the third seemed to be scrutinising the people around her and waited a moment longer. Her phone buzzed on the table in front of her, and after checking the received text message, she looked up to give her answer.

"_Labyrinth_ agrees, only once the terms are met on your side. I'm not going to stand three blocks away when I don't have cameras in place that I can access," she stated.

"Neither am I," Brian Anderson agreed, everyone else echoing their sentiment.

"Very well. It looks like I'll have to get the Mayor to sign a few documents a little quicker then," Layla said with a grin. "I'll contact you all when I have the paperwork ready. I'd like you all to sign a waiver stating that you've agreed to these terms and that anything you do outside of these rules are at your own fault."

"Understandable," the reporter from _Labyrinth_ said, the rest agreeing with her again.

With the meeting over, the gathered people started to leave. Layla saw that the woman from _Labyrinth_ was hanging back and waited patiently, wondering what she had to say out of the earshot of the others. _Labyrinth_ was a tabloid magazine and rarely had any news stories that were believable, but despite that, the business had flourished for the past 15 years since it started. In the super world, everyone knew that _Labyrinth _was merely a cover for supers, allowing them to travel to the furthest parts of the globe without too much fuss. Of course, those supers employed by _Labyrinth_ still had to write something for the magazine, which is why their articles were never taken seriously.

"Hi Layla, I'm Honey. My employer would like to speak with you," she said when they were alone.

Not even a second later, her phone began to ring loudly. Honey handed it to her and stepped out of the meeting room.

"Hello?" Layla said into the phone.

"Good afternoon, Layla. This is Sarah, the owner of _Labyrinth_. Honey's told me about the deal you've made with the media, and I'm interested to know more about it before anything is signed on behalf of my company. Are you able to meet with me in person?"

"Yes, of course. I'm free this Saturday morning if that's convenient?"

"Perfect. If you could come to _Labyrinth_ at 10am, I'll have security let you into the building."

"All right, see you then."

Hanging up from the call, Layla didn't even have time to open the door before Honey stepped inside and gave her a smile. Layla handed her phone back, thanking her.

"No problem. Everything went well then?"

"I have a meeting with Sarah on Saturday," Layla replied with a nod.

"Good to know. I look forward to seeing you again when you have those cameras installed," Honey replied, leaving a moment later.

Layla stood there for a few seconds, wondering what Saturday would bring.

"All ready to go Layla?" Ms. Peace asked, looking into the room.

"Yes, I'm ready," she replied quickly, grabbing her bag and following Nina out.

...

Zach grinned brightly as he leant over the table to kiss Ethan.

"You've got to stop doing that. We'll never get anything finished," Ethan muttered when they pulled away a few minutes later.

"When you stop looking so damned kissable, then I'll stop," Zach said with a grin.

Shaking his head, Ethan returned his attention to his workbook. "If your hero's significant other is captured by the villain in return for ransom, you advise him: a) to pay the ransom, b) to find and defeat the villain, possibly risking his significant other in the process, or c) you don't advise him because the hero's already left to save his significant other without your help," Ethan read aloud.

"I told you those books were just as bad about heroes as ours are about sidekicks," Warren muttered, coming into the room with Layla beside him.

"I'd choose c)," Zach said, ignoring his comment.

"Well, it's true, isn't it? If Layla was captured by a villain, you'd go to rescue her, wouldn't you?" Ethan asked Warren, turning his attention to them.

Warren held back a laugh; _if anything, he'd expect that Layla was the villain capturing heroes' significant others_.

"Of course I would. But I'd take my sidekick with me. And a container of kerosene to light the bastard up for taking Layla away," Warren growled possessively.

"Aw, you say the sweetest things," Layla said, kissing him.

"Good afternoon, kids. How are you?" Anita Damsale asked, smiling at them as she brought in a platter of fruit.

"Good, thank you, Mrs. Damsale. Thank you for letting us come over at such short notice," Layla said with a smile.

"Your parents and guardians all agreed to you staying over on a school night, so it's no problem at all. I'll let you know when dinner's ready. Have fun studying," Anita said, leaving them to it.

Warren closed the door behind her as Layla went to sit down.

"_Thank you for letting us come over at such short notice_," Zach mocked, picking up a strawberry and pretending it was Layla. "_Oh, you're so wonderful, Mrs. Damsale. Can I kiss your butt any more, Mrs. Damsale_?"

"That's my mum you're talking about, Zach," Ethan said, glowering at him.

"I know that. I'm mocking Layla, not your mum," Zach replied, grinning at Layla.

She stole the strawberry out of his grasp and ate it before he could protest.

"So why'd you call a meeting anyway? I was planning on having an intense make-out session with my boyfriend, y'know," Zach stated.

Ethan reddened at the term, but grinned a little foolishly too. Then his grinned slipped as he realised what Zach had said. "What do you mean, she called a meeting?"

"You really think I'd give up a night of work just to study? I have priorities, Popsicle, and the main one is money," Warren said, sitting beside Layla.

Ethan was stunned for a moment, looking between them all. They all seemed to know something that he didn't and he loathed not knowing something. He hated not knowing what was going on around him, and while he didn't have the best social skills in the world, Ethan was proud of the fact that he knew answers to questions that others might ask. Maybe it had something to do with his power and maybe it didn't, but Ethan soaked up knowledge like others soaked up sunlight.

"Would someone tell me what's going on here?"

"Do you still have the book for Save the Citizen?" Layla asked.

"Wh-what? Yes, of course I do," Ethan said, wondering why she was asking that instead of answering his question.

"Zach, why don't you go upstairs with Ethan to get the book? We'll explain everything when you're back," Layla said.

"Right," Zach said with a nod, taking Ethan's hand and all but pulling him out of the room.

"You're sure they're ready, hippie?" Warren asked when the door closed behind them.

"Zach definitely is," Layla said, the vine beneath her skin rippling with a brush of power.

She'd walked into the room and had clutched Warren's hand tightly at the feeling. Zach was beyond ready, and there was even a brush of the same feeling coming from Ethan. He was in love with Zach and would do anything for him, even turn evil. It wouldn't take much longer for him to become truly permanent.

"Are you all right, Eth?" Zach asked, worried when he still hadn't said anything.

Ethan shook his head. "I don't know, Zach. Do you really know what you're getting into, what **we** might be getting into?"

"Hey, I wouldn't get into something if I didn't know what I was getting into," Zach said, grinning.

"This is a really fine line we're treading, Zach. You know that super villains have a lower life expectancy than heroes, right? Not to mention their success rate's far below par."

"But that's other villains. We're not other villains, are we?"

"I don't even know if we _are _villains yet!" Ethan exclaimed. "I don't want to be like Speed and Lash, and I really don't want to end up in gaol. My mum would kill me," he groaned, sitting on the bed and sighing.

"You wouldn't be like Speed and Lash; I wouldn't let you. Besides, they were bullies and there's a huge difference between being a bully and being evil," Zach said.

Grinning at the expression on Ethan's face, Zach leant over and kissed him again, his lips curving into a grin as Ethan wrapped his arms around him.

"You _really_ have to stop looking so damn kissable," he murmured against Ethan's lips.

Ethan pulled away from him and sighed heavily. "All right, fine. If you think I'll be such a great villain, convince me why."

"What?" Zach asked in confusion.

"Tell me why I should be a villain." He grinned slightly, seeing the look of concentration on Zach's face.

"Uhh... You hate mess and disorganisation," he replied, looking at the pristine state of Ethan's room.

"Right, so what? How's that an argument for me to be evil?"

"Because heroes are messy! You've seen Will's room, it's an absolute sty."

"Your room's not any better," Ethan pointed out.

"Well, I'm still not a fully-fledged villain," Zach said, shrugging.

"You know that's the most ridiculous argument for being a villain I've ever heard?"

"Heard that many arguments for being a villain, have you?"

"Well, no, not really."

"Then you don't know what a good argument to be a villain is. Come on, let's just go downstairs already. I'm sure Layla and Warren will be able to explain it all better than I can. I still don't have the full privileges, y'know."

"Are you really sure you want to do this, Zach?"

"Definitely, one-hundred and ten percent, man. But I won't do anything if you're not with me. It'd really suck being the third wheel around those two," he joked, grinning.

Ethan grinned slightly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "That's good enough for me. For now. Come on, I've got the book now, so let's go see what Layla and Warren have to say about all this."

Zach nodded and followed him downstairs to the lounge room. Layla and Warren were waiting for them patiently, a large stack of files sitting on the coffee table.

"What are those?" Ethan asked warily.

"Remember that day a few weeks ago where I fought Will in the cafeteria?" Warren prompted, getting a nod in return. "Well, it was all just a distraction so Layla could steal the student files from Principal Powers' office."

"I **_knew_** you let him hit you!" Zach crowed.

Warren smirked. "I told him last year that I could take a hit. He should have realised something was wrong then," he said, shrugging.

"Are you all right, Ethan?" Layla asked, moving to him in concern.

Ethan didn't look away from the large piles of student files sitting on the table, his eyes widened. "Is that _every_ student's file?"

"I've had a brief look at them, but it only seems to be current students at Sky High. I haven't seen any files for Lash, Speed, Penny, or Gwen at least," Layla said with a slight shrug.

"What do you want me for? I'm a sidekick, and not even a very good one, honestly," Ethan whispered, still staring at the files.

"You are amazing, Ethan, you just don't believe in yourself yet. But I believe in you," Layla said, her hand resting on his shoulder gently. "You were fantastic when you organised everything for Save the Citizen, and I wanted you to do something similar for me now. I won't force you to do anything. In fact, if you say no, then I'll forget about it completely so long as you do the same, and I won't ever ask you again. But right now, all I want you to do is organise the information in these files so that I can use them. I need to return the files as soon as possible, and I just don't have your excellent ability to sort through all of these and gain anything useful from them."

"That's all? You just want me to organise the information?" Ethan asked, finally looking to her.

Layla nodded sincerely. "That's all for now. It doesn't sound so evil, does it?" she added with a smile.

"Well, they're not your files," he pointed out.

"I know that; that's why I want to return them. I don't want to be labelled as a thief."

Ethan licked his lips briefly. He wanted to know what was inside of the files, he needed to know, to gain all of that knowledge, and as the want and need grew, in that moment Ethan wanted nothing more than to accept Layla's request.

"All right, I'll do it."

"You are amazing; thank you so much, Ethan. Can I help in any way?" Layla asked, looking from him to the files.

"I'll need help getting them up to my room without Mum noticing," Ethan said.

"Right, we're on it. Zach, go distract the Damsales. I'll take this upstairs," Warren instructed.

Zach grinned brightly, gave a mocking salute, and headed out to where Anita and her husband were watching TV in the kitchen.

Warren grabbed the files in an armful, shoving them into the bag that Layla had brought them over in. When Layla was sure that the two adults were engrossed in conversation with Zach, she opened the door and Warren hurried out. Ethan went after him quickly, helping him to unload the bag and put the files away in a box under his bed.

"You've got until Friday morning to get these done, Popsicle," Warren muttered as the last file was taken out of the bag.

"That's only three days away! Why Friday?" Ethan asked, frowning.

"Because that's when the broken walls into Principal Powers' office are getting repaired again," he replied.

"Then maybe everyone should come study up here so I can get started," he muttered, looking at the box.

"I can organise that," Layla said from the doorway, grinning.

She left without another word, and Ethan opened the red book, taking out the first file in the box.

"Excuse me, Anita? I'm really sorry about Zach distracting you; he's just procrastinating because we have midterms coming up soon and he's nervous. Is it okay if we study up in Ethan's room? There'll be less of a chance of Zach escaping and procrastinating again," Layla said with a grin.

"Oh, if you think it will help, go right ahead. But keep the window open; I doubt there'll be much oxygen up there with all four of you in there at once," Anita said, smiling.

"Of course. Thank you. Come on, Zach. You're not escaping again."

"Yes, ma'am," Zach said sombrely, leaving the kitchen before Layla could drag him out.

"I'll call you for dinner," Anita called after them.

"Thank you," Layla and Zach chorused, heading upstairs to help Ethan and Warren.

...

End of the twenty-fourth chapter.

Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it!


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty-Five

...

Principal Powers walked into her newly-repaired office. The workmen had insisted that she stay out of it for the entire day so that everything could set properly, and she'd been forced to share an office with Coach Boomer. It was an experience she was in no hurry to repeat.

Seeing that one of her filing cabinets was open slightly, Powers walked over to it, opening the ajar drawer carefully. All of the student files were inside, just as she'd left them. Putting it down to a worker bumping into the piece of furniture, Principal Powers set about opening her windows, hoping to get rid of the new paint smell before the fumes ensured her return to Boomer's office.

...

The Commander and Jetstream had accepted the journalists' terms, agreeing to spend twelve minutes with them so long as they stayed behind a three-block radius. With that agreed to, Layla sent out a preliminary email to the media contacts, stating that the terms had been accepted and they were now in negotiations with AAA Contractors to get the cameras installed throughout the metropolis of Maxville.

A time frame was given for the project to be complete in two weeks' time, but no one truly expected the cameras to be installed by then, even if the job was being done by super-powered contractors. By the time Layla had taken down the details of the time-frame, a bet was running through the Mayor's office on how long they would really take to complete the job. After seeing how quickly the contractors from AAA worked during the aftermath of the Commander and Iceman's fight, Nina put her bet on for two weeks.

Layla discreetly wrote the number for the AAA Contractors down on a slip of paper so that she could call them later regarding her idea for the secret sanctum.

...

"If you want any super work done, no matter if it's above or below ground, then you'll need Council permission. The Mayor likes to know who's building what and where, y'know," the owner of AAA Contractors, Patrick said.

"Yes, I know. Do you know which specific forms I'd have to fill out in order to get Council permission?" Layla asked.

"For work above ground, it's a SW100 form. For below, a SW101 form. If you want to email me your requirements and the size of the block of land, I can give you an estimated quote before all of this goes ahead."

"Thank you, Patrick, I really appreciate it," Layla said.

"No problem. I'll wait until I get your email then."

"Okay, thank you. Have a nice day, Patrick."

"Yeah, you too," he replied, hanging up from the call.

Layla disconnected from the call, her hand trembling slightly. She was starting to create her very own secret sanctum, and it was both nerve-wracking and amazing.

Within three hours, Layla had emailed Patrick regarding her secret sanctum and received a quote in reply. At first, she thought the estimated cost was a joke, and had laughed. But when no other email came through with the real price, Layla realised that Patrick had been serious. She was on the phone to him in a matter of minutes, knowing all too well that the costs were far too exorbitant for the job she wanted - the entire lower half of the Maxville metropolis hadn't cost as much to repair! Patrick was tough, but eventually caved when she brought up the work he'd done at a much lower price for other supers in Maxville. In the end, Layla managed to get the price down from almost $25,000 to $10,000. It was still a steep price, but it would be worth it in the end.

With a happy hum, Layla got her bag ready to go to Warren's house to study. When she was ready, she left her Great Aunt's house without looking back, and knew that when the time came for her to leave for good, she wouldn't look back then either.

...

"Are you sure you're all right to come in with me, Warren?" Layla asked, frowning slightly. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

Warren just nodded in response. He wasn't about to let Layla go to this meeting without knowing what it was about. _There was something about the whole situation that just didn't sit right with him_. Warren seriously doubted that the meeting was in regards to the cameras being set up in Maxville, or the terms that the media had discussed to interview the Commander and Jetstream, especially since they'd all been accepted.

"Good morning. I have an appointment to see Sarah," Layla told the receptionist at _Labyrinth_.

"Just one moment," she replied, pressing a button on her headset. "Sarah? You have an appointment with... your name?" she asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Layla Williams," she replied quickly.

"Layla Williams?" There was a brief pause as she listened to whatever Sarah was saying on the other end of the line. "Oh, of course. I'll send them right through," she said, pressing the same button to hang up. "If you'll go straight to the end of the hall and turn left, the owner is expecting you."

_The owner? Why not say the woman's name_?! Warren wondered with a brief frown.

"Thank you," Layla said, heading down the corridor to the indicated office.

Warren was a step behind her, despite his reservations, and as she entered the office, she took his hand in her own.

"Hello, Layla. Warren, I'm glad you could make it."

Layla frowned in confusion, seeing that it was Honey sitting in the office rather than Sarah.

"You look confused to see me sitting here," Honey said, grinning.

"I thought you said that Sarah was the owner of _Labyrinth_?" Layla asked.

Beside her, Warren lit up his arms, glaring at the woman menacingly.

She just smiled, not looking at all fazed by his flames. "I tell everyone that. It's a tactic that's saved my life more than once, and I don't intend on stopping any time soon. You're now two of five people who know who the true owner of _Labyrinth _is, and I trust that you won't tell anyone else?" Honey asked, looking between them.

"How did you know my name?" Warren asked, not willing to agree to anything - even verbally - when this woman knew who he was before he'd even been introduced.

"I am a seer. Your name was one of the easier things to find out," Honey said with a slight grin.

"Why are you being so open about this? Don't you need to protect your secret and super identities?" Layla asked, suspicious and just plain confused.

"Considering just who you are, what you will be to me, and who I hope to be for you, there is going to be very little need for all of that secrecy."

"What?" Warren asked, his confusion far too evident in his expression.

Honey's smile slipped, and she sighed softly, rubbing her temples for a moment. "This would be so much easier if you could see everything that I see," she murmured. "If you could sit down while I try to gather my thoughts, I'd appreciate it... And please don't power up if you can help it, the upholstery's new," Honey added with a brief frown.

Curious, Layla moved to sit down on one of the chairs. Warren took a moment to follow, his flames extinguishing after a few moments of wrestling with his emotions.

"I can only tell you so much, because if I detail too much of the current future, then the present may be altered because of it, and then the future I see may not come to pass," Honey said, licking her lips and trying to think of a delicate way to encompass everything she knew could convince them to trust her. "At the moment, you're thinking of who to recruit as permanent markers. It is vital that you start to recruit by the end of the year. In the future, you will have an entire hierarchy of super villains and would-be villains that will be run from your secret sanctum, the Hive. The Hive needs to be finished sooner rather than later so that you can continue your work without raising too many suspicions."

Warren was about to tell her what a load of bull she was spouting - even if she did know about the permanent markers and secret sanctum - but Honey looked directly at him and continued.

"Your mother will be safe. Her future is uncertain, as it is unlikely at this moment that she will become a villain, but she will always be safe, and she may be persuaded eventually."

Warren felt a tightness leaving his chest - one that he hadn't even been aware of until this very moment - and felt some of his suspicions lessening towards Honey.

"My name is Hourglass; it is an immense pleasure to meet both of you, and I cannot wait to start working with you," Honey finished, sounding genuine and just a little shell-shocked, as if they were celebrities and she was their biggest fan.

"You're starting to freak me out, Hourglass," Warren said, but grinned nonetheless.

"My apologies. It's just... I've seen so much of you two for so long that it's actually hard for me to believe that you're real and you're both sitting here in front of me!"

"You're going to have to stop there, or I'll be curious enough to ask about what you've seen," Layla said.

Honey nodded, sitting up a bit straighter. "Of course. I mainly wanted to introduce myself to you. I'll give you my business card, but don't worry, I'll call you when the time's right," she added with a knowing smile.

Taking the offered card from Honey, Layla simply stared at the small rectangle for a moment.

"Honey Olgestein?! _You're _Henry and Frieda's daughter?"

"Yes, I am... I've been trying to save my mother the pain of his adulterous ways for years, but she's never listened," Honey said with a laboured sigh.

In her very expression, Layla could see the pain of a daughter who knew exactly what was happening but was unable to stop it, and forced to watch as her mother suffered each emotional or physical blow. Then Honey smiled up at her and the moment was over.

"I'll call Sarah to show you out. I'm sure you'll both keep quiet about who I am," Honey said, calling for her assistant via the intercom.

Sarah arrived in a matter of seconds, smiling as she guided them to a side door rather than the front entrance. "Honey will call you when you're needed, or when you'll need her, don't worry about that. She's been waiting for this for years."

"So are you a super, Sarah?" Layla asked curiously.

"No, I'm not," she replied, not sounding as upset about it as some might have.

"Then why do you keep Honey's secret?" Warren asked curiously.

He'd heard of some supers working with citizens, but not in such a close proximity as Sarah and Hourglass seemed to have.

"Honey saved my life," Sarah replied with a shrug. "Besides, the pay's really good," she added, grinning a little.

"Fair enough," Warren muttered, already trying to think of the numerous ways Hourglass might have saved this woman's life.

"It was nice meeting both of you, I hope to see you again," Sarah said, farewelling them both before closing the door and returning to her office.

Layla and Warren were silent as they made their way back to the bus stop. They didn't have to wait long for a bus to arrive, as the _Labyrinth _offices were on the city loop, and services ran every fifteen minutes.

"What do you think?" Layla asked, looking at him when they were on the bus.

"I'm not sure what to think, honestly," Warren admitted with a slight frown.

"Neither am I," she agreed. "It's a bit overwhelming, really, and I don't think there's anything we can do with this information until a later time."

Warren nodded slightly, not knowing what else they really could do either. "I'll take you to lunch, but I want to show you something first," he said, pressing the button for the bus to stop.

When they were out on the street once more, Warren slipped his arm about Layla's waist, leading her down the street.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, glancing around and trying to get a bearing on their surroundings.

"You'll see in a minute, hippie."

She did see, sooner than a minute though. The streets hadn't changed much since she'd left, but Layla didn't know why on earth Warren was leading her through her old neighbourhood. They stopped in front of Mrs. Kibbitch's house. The street seemed to be deserted, despite the fact that it was the middle of the day.

"Okay, stand right here. No moving," Warren added, grinning at her.

"All right, I'll stay as still as a statue," Layla promised, curious enough to follow his instruction.

"Close your eyes too," Warren said, almost as an afterthought. "When I whistle, open your eyes again."

Frowning, she did as he said, her eyes closing as she waited. Warren pressed a kiss to her lips, then stepped away before she could lean into his kiss. Layla felt the vines rippling beneath her skin, a whisper in her head, softer than leaves rustling in a breeze. A whistle sounded, and she opened her eyes. A line of fire burned before her, and as she watched, the line started to move, spreading to form a small square. Then another formed, and another two, until in front of her, a fiery game of hopscotch was waiting.

"I've been practising. See if you can grow something in it," Warren said, grinning.

"Why here?" she asked, even as she tried to conjure a plant in the middle of one of the squares.

"You'll see; try again," Warren said with a nod as the small plant burned to ash.

Layla tried to grow another plant, watching as it burned too. Frowning, she tried again, and again another time. The next try stayed up for a few seconds longer, the plant hardening against the flames for a brief period.

"Close. Try again, hippie," Warren said.

Layla tried again, concentrating harder this time, shaping the stem, then the leaves, before continuing onto the flower itself. It didn't have to be a fire resistant plant, per se. So long as the stem could withstand the fire, then she could make it grow high enough so that the flames wouldn't destroy the rest of the plant.

"So why are we here?" she asked, resting between her attempts.

"Look around you, hippie. You're in the middle of suburbia, creating plants in squares of fire and no one is leaving their house or even looking out the windows."

Looking at the houses, Layla frowned slightly when she saw that he was right. All of the lights were off in the houses, no one was out and about, and no one even seemed concerned that they were lighting fires in the street.

"Suburbia is ridiculously predictable, hippie, and it's safe. In fact, it's probably the main reason the Commander and Jetstream live out here. No one cares what happens, so long as it doesn't happen to _them_."

Grinning, Layla turned around in a circle, a hedge growing to an enormous size, a tree losing all of its' leaves, weeds in the concrete overtaking the path, a rose-bush bursting into bloom. Nothing happened from the houses. Not one light turned on, no doors or windows opened, no one yelled at them. Everyone continued on with their lives, not bothering to look outside of their mortgaged homes. Laughing, Layla moved to Warren, kissing him fiercely.

"It'll make the takeover all that much easier," Warren said between kisses, grinning at her.

Layla nodded, and as they pulled away, she noticed that eight hopscotch squares were filled with plants, swaying in the light breeze easily and not burning to a crisp.

...

Ethan sat at his desk, a book open before him, his own neat handwriting staring up at him. He touched the pages almost reverently, fingertips light against the indents and trails of pen. Inside of this book were the names of every person attending Sky High, their powers, their addresses and contact numbers, and beneath their names was enough space to list their weaknesses and strengths. The book was a black covered one, almost as if it signified just what the future held for the names written inside of it.

When he'd still had all of the files, Ethan had written the information on his computer in a form of shorthand, names and powers whispered to him from his friends reading the files, and that was enough for the time being. But as Layla had left with her red-covered book for Save the Citizen, Ethan became attached to the idea of a book, of having the knowledge available to him at the turn of a page, rather than reflecting back at him from a cold screen. He'd stayed up until the early hours of Saturday morning to write them all down, the words imprinting in his head as they were transcribed on paper.

A knock on his door had Ethan closing the book quickly, one of his textbooks covering the incriminating book.

"Yes?" he called.

"Oh, you're up now. Are you all right, Ethan? It's almost one in the afternoon," his mother, Anita said, opening his door to look inside.

"Fine, mum. Just needed some more sleep," Ethan replied with a quick smile.

"You must be going through another growth spurt," Anita said, smiling at him. "Well, come downstairs when you're ready and I'll make some lunch up for you, okay?"

"All right, thanks."

She closed the door as she left, and Ethan ran a hand over his face, his heart racing. The lies had come so easily, pouring out of his lips without thinking, and he didn't even feel guilty about it. He had gotten away with lying to his own mother, and Ethan felt a terrifying sense of pleasure at the thought, wondering just what else he could get away with.

...

Whistling to himself, Zach made his way downstairs, a grin on his lips when he saw his little sister playing with her matchbox cars at the foot of the stairs. He waved to get her attention, and she looked up at him with bright blue eyes.

"You need to move, Heidi, or someone might trip over you," he said, careful to enunciate his words so she could read his lips.

Smiling up at him, Heidi signed that she was fine and he shouldn't worry. Nonetheless, she still moved to the lounge room, her car moving along the walls gently. Zach hurried after her, making as much noise as possible so that her actions weren't seen by their parents.

"Fucking hell, Zach! Do you have to make such a damn racket?" his father yelled from the kitchen.

"Sorry, dad," he called back, moving to switch the TV on and sit beside his sister.

Heidi snatched the control from him, turning the subtitles on. Zach grinned at her, signing that she was too quick for him. She laughed, the sound deeper than it should be, but to Zach it was one of the most wonderful laughs in the world, and never failed to make him smile.

"Zach, I'm going out now. Would you take your sister out to get some new shoes? Your father needs his rest for tonight's shift at work, so make sure you're both quiet when you come back," his mother said, looking into the lounge room to see them.

"Yes, mum. Can you take us now? I'll be real quick," Zach promised, already standing up.

"All right. Heidi, you need to get new shoes. Zach will be taking you to the shops," she said to her daughter.

Heidi didn't look happy at the idea of going shoe-shopping, but brightened at the news that her older brother would be taking her, and hurried from the room.

"I can spare twenty dollars, but no more. If it's over that, then use some of your pocket money, and I'll pay you back next pay packet," his mother said, holding out a twenty dollar note to him.

"Right, thanks," Zach said. "Won't be a minute," he called, hurrying upstairs to get changed.

Putting the money in his wallet, Zach changed out of his pyjamas into more acceptable clothes for wearing outside, and hurried downstairs, making sure to grab his wallet on the way.

"Finally. Come on, I'm running late now," his mother muttered, hurrying outside.

Zach guided Heidi out to the car, making sure she had her belt on as their mother pulled out of the driveway. Twenty minutes later, they were standing outside of the local mall, Zach double checking that Heidi had her hearing aid on.

"I'm fine, I can hear you," she said, waving off his concern.

"What if I talk really soft, like this?" Zach whispered, grinning and pulling a face to make her laugh again.

Heidi shook her head at him, smiling nonetheless, her hand slipping into his as a large group of people came out of the mall, loud noises filtering out of the doors. Zach squeezed her hand gently and led her into mall.

"I've seen some bright pink shoes in the shoe store, do you want them?" he asked, knowing how much his sister hated anything that made her seem girly, pink definitely at the top of that list.

"I want blue. Or green. Or yellow. But not your yellow," she said, crinkling her nose at his neon yellow shoes.

"There's nothing wrong with my yellow," Zach replied, mocking offence.

"Yes, there is," Heidi said seriously, grinning a moment later.

"Ah, you brat. Come on, let's go find your blue or green shoes and get out of here. I'll buy you lunch if you..."

Heidi blinked in surprise when Zach stopped talking abruptly, her hand moving up to her hearing aid to see if it was still working. She could hear the rest of the noise in the mall though, so figured that _something_ must have made him stop talking. Looking in the direction he was looking, Heidi saw the reason, her hands clenching at the sight of the purple-clad girl across the mall. Magenta was coming out of a store with Will, his arm around her waist. The girl who had broken her brother's heart - the very same one who refused to go to the mall because she hated it so much - was right there, and Heidi wanted nothing more than to slap her for hurting _her _brother and for being a fake hypocrite.

Magenta must have realised that they were both staring at her, because she looked across the mall, her face paling on seeing them. She tried to turn away, to get away from their stares, and Heidi growled low in her throat. Overhead, the fluorescent lights flickered violently until they shattered completely, pieces of glass and hot plastic showering down on the gathered shoppers below.

Swearing softly - but loud enough for Heidi to learn a new curse word or two - Zach took her arm and led her away as quickly as he could.

"Shouldn't have done that, Heids," he whispered carefully.

"She hurt you, why shouldn't I?" Heidi replied angrily, wrenching her arm away from him.

"Because we're in public, and shit like that will get us into trouble. Will's the son of the Commander and Jetstream, and I don't want to go to gaol for taking the rap for you. I'm dealing with them, okay? It was just a surprise to see them in the mall," Zach said, leading Heidi to the back of the shoe store.

"That little punk's the son of the Commander and Jetstream?" she scoffed, but his face was pale enough to attest his words.

"Come on, let's just get you some shoes, okay?" Zach murmured quietly. "They'll think that I did it, and I'm fine with that. So long as you don't get into trouble, it's nothing to worry about, understood?"

Heidi nodded, but felt a little guilty at the thought of getting her beloved brother into trouble for her own loss of control.

"Wait, you said you're dealing with them... How are you dealing with them?" she asked, even as she dutifully sat down on the stool and tried on a pair of blue shoes Zach offered to her.

A pair of security guards walked past the store, their walkie talkies making a sound of interference as they called the store's medics to look after the people who had been injured.

"These are actually really good shoes," Heidi said, looking down at her feet in them.

"Really? Oh, hey, go me," Zach said, grinning at her. "And they're only fifteen bucks too. All right, walk around the store, see how you go in them. Might need the next size up," he mused.

Heidi stood up, flexing one foot at a time before walking up and down the aisle. Zach was surprised to realise that his sister was taller than his shoulder; _he was sure Heidi had been shorter than that only last week_!

"They're good, and they've got growing room," Heidi said, smiling at him.

"Cool. Let's go then; the next bus shouldn't be too far off."

"I'm hungry," Heidi said as they went to the front counter to pay for her new shoes.

"What do you feel like? Food court?" Zach asked, opening his wallet and pulling out the twenty to pay for the shoes.

A few medics ran past, bulky bags in their hands, and Heidi paled slightly, shaking her head.

"I don't want to eat here," she said, her hand slipping into his again.

Zach faltered for a moment. He didn't really want to eat there either, but the mall wasn't as close to the city centre and the rest of the food places as he'd like. In fact out here the only place that was nearby was _The Paper Lantern_.

"Oh, I know where we can go," Zach said, grinning. "And if I play my cards right, we might get a free meal."

"Zach?"

He turned on hearing his name being called, a silly grin on his face when Zach saw that it was Ethan. "Hey, man. What're you doing here?"

"Needed some new notebooks for school, so Mum dropped me off about half an hour ago," he said, holding up his shopping bag to reveal the various coloured notebooks in his bag. "What about you?" Ethan asked.

"Heidi needed some new shoes, and we're just about to go to _The Paper Lantern _for lunch. I'm going to see if I can scab a free meal off Warren," Zach said with a grin. "Want to come?"

"Okay," Ethan said, a light blush on his cheeks.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Heidi asked Zach, grinning broadly.

"Yes, he is, now be quiet or I'll exchange these for that Barbie-pink pair," Zach muttered.

Heidi blanched at the thought and went quiet, quickly following her brother and Ethan out of the store's side entrance.

"Did you see the lights blow up?" Ethan asked on their way out. "Will jumped on a couple kids and saved them from being hurt. He's probably going to have to give a statement to the media," he muttered with a grimace.

"You don't like him either?" Heidi asked, delighted with her brother's boyfriend already.

Ethan seemed surprised at her question, but gave a brief nod, as if he hadn't been aware of his dislike until it had been pointed out to him.

They walked along the streets quietly, passing an old house with a sold sign and a large picture of future apartment blocks stuck on the front fence. Walking the last few metres up to _The Paper Lantern_, Zach called out to Warren and Layla, who he saw walking up to the side of the restaurant. They both turned around at his call, waiting patiently for them to join them.

"Hi Zach, Ethan. Hi Heidi," Layla said with a smile, remembering Zach's sister from when she'd seen her at his house during their last study group.

"Hi Layla. Are you all right?" Heidi asked Warren, indicating to the white-knuckled grip Layla had on his hand.

"Fine. What're you all doing here?" Warren asked, looking between them.

"Came to see if we could get some lunch," Zach said, grinning.

"Sure, shouldn't be too busy in there yet. I'll check the reserved tables and see if we've got one available," Warren said, going into the restaurant and holding the door opened for Layla.

She smiled at him, thanking him quietly and waiting as the others joined her in the foyer. Mrs. Woo called out to Warren when he opened the reservation book, and he replied to her in Cantonese, scribbling something in the book.

"You've got table 20. Someone will be out in a minute to get your orders," Warren added, nodding over to the table that he'd booked for them.

As they walked over to the table near the back of the restaurant, Warren went into the kitchen to get ready for his shift.

"So why are you here instead of the shopping mall?" Layla asked, looking to the bags they were all carrying. "Surely there's Chinese food in the food court?"

Ethan shrugged, Zach reddened slightly, and Heidi looked at the table, the light overhead flickering.

"Did something happen?" Layla asked, looking between them curiously.

There was a moment of silence, an awkward pause filling the air.

"Magenta was at the mall with Will. I overreacted and made the lights explode," Zach said.

"I didn't know you could make lights explode, Zach," Layla said in surprise.

"He can't," Heidi said quietly. "It was me; Zach's just covering for me."

"So you can light up, and Heidi can affect lights?" Ethan asked, grinning slightly. "Does that mean you can turn Zach on and off like a Christmas tree, Heidi?"

Heidi's eyes widened at his question and she laughed behind her hand, Zach shaking his head with a grin.

"Hey, what do you lot want to eat?" Warren asked, coming over to the table with notebook in hand.

"Since when do you take orders?" Layla asked, trying not to grin.

"Since I let my friends in the restaurant half an hour before opening time," he said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, I don't have all day."

They gave their orders, Warren leaving back to the kitchen to cook.

"So will you be going to Sky High, Heidi?" Layla asked.

"Hope so. Still have to wait three whole years," Heidi muttered sourly.

"I'm sure it'll fly by," she replied assuringly.

"I hope so. I have to show Zach up somehow. Stop kissing Ethan before lunch, Zach. You'll ruin your appetite or something," Heidi muttered, nudging her brother with a grin.

Layla laughed, and Zach pulled away from Ethan reluctantly.

"When you start dating someone, I'm going to go around and bug you about kissing them too."

Heidi rolled her eyes at her brother, but her response was stopped by Warren serving their food. He indicated for Layla to move further down the booth, sitting next to her.

"Mrs. Woo's letting you eat lunch with us?" she asked in surprise.

"She really, _really_ likes you. Something about brightening up the flowers, which you're not meant to do outside of Sky High," Warren added with a bit of a smirk, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

"Oh, stop it. It just looks sad when the daisies aren't straight," Layla muttered, the flower on their table adjusting itself accordingly, as if to prove a point.

They ate, snippets of conversation breaking the silence every so often. Eventually, Mrs. Woo called for Warren to start his shift, and he took their empty dishes to the kitchen, leaving them to continue talking.

"So why were you here, Layla?" Heidi asked eventually. "Do you always come to Warren's work?"

"No, not always. I went to the bank this morning, and was going out this afternoon before heading back to my Great Aunt's house. I was actually going to organise a study group for tomorrow, if you and Ethan are interested, Zach?"

"Yeah, who's place this time?" Zach asked.

"It's my turn," Layla said with a grin.

"Then we'll go to mine next, Warren's after that, and Zach's last, before starting all over again, right?" Ethan asked.

Layla nodded, and started discussing one of the assignments she had for Mad Science. Heidi didn't participate in this conversation, frowning slightly as she glanced to her brother. Zach obviously hadn't told their parents about his relationship with Ethan, but she wondered if he'd told Ethan and his friends **why**. She resolved to make sure that Zach wouldn't be hurt when the truth was revealed to their parents.

...

End of the twenty-fifth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty Six

...

The workers at AAA Contractors nodded to Layla as she passed them to get into the Mayor's office. They were working on installing the cameras as part of the deal with the media and journalists, and all manner of fibre optics, cords, and electricity lines were exposed.

A group of people had tried protesting and picketing over the installation of the cameras throughout town, stating that they were an act against their freedom and civil rights. Their picketing had eventuated in the Mayor giving a speech to citizens, stating exactly what the cameras were, and how they would only be used by the media in order to gain footage during a fight between supers.

Layla had written the speech herself the night before the Mayor had given it to the press, and she was fairly proud of the fact that she'd included answers to questions she thought the reporters might ask. Some of them had been asked, some hadn't, and others that she hadn't even thought of had been asked, but overall, Layla was proud of the work she'd done. Nina had hugged her in congratulations, murmuring something in her ear about asking for a pay rise since she'd done so well for her first battle with the public.

Making her way upstairs, Layla stopped in the kitchen area to put her food in the fridge. In the corner, the TV was broadcasting the Mayor's speech, the last few questions from reporters and the public, and his response.

"The last of the cameras should be installed by the end of the month, a few test trials will be done, and then we'll make sure that the press have the combinations when the time comes to use them properly. Hopefully it will be a long time between battles," the Mayor said, smiling at the cameras.

With the speech finished, Brian Anderson of _Channel Five_ appeared on the screen once more, continuing with the regular news broadcast for the evening.

Turning the TV off, Layla left the kitchen and headed to the office where _The Monster_ was. She'd specifically asked the Mayor to continue with _The Monster_'s filing, not wanting someone else to ruin the work she'd done, and he'd agreed, so long as it wouldn't interfere with her job as his PA. Now that everything was up to date, it was much easier to maintain the filing system, and the tray of paperwork that had been left in the office was filed away in under ten minutes.

Going over to her desk outside of the Mayor's office, Layla looked inside the dark room briefly. Another version of _The Monster_ was sitting inside his office, this one held under lock and key that only the Mayor himself could access. It was the worst kept secret in the Mayor's office, and everyone seemed to know that the villain's watch list was inside that filing cabinet. As the cabinet was a large four-drawer one, almost as tall as herself, Layla highly doubted that the villain's watch list was the only thing inside of the cabinet. Over the weeks, she'd asked a few questions here and there, and everyone seemed to have their own theory as to what else the cabinet held, but nothing concrete enough to speculate on properly.

The phone on her desk rang, startling her, and she picked it up on seeing the number for Dave, the security guard downstairs.

"Hi Dave," she said cheerfully.

"Hi Layla. One of the guys from AAA Contractors wants to talk to you, something about a message for the Mayor. Want me to send him up?"

"Yes, thank you, Dave."

"No problem," Dave said, hanging up the phone and giving the worker a temporary swipe card to access the top floor of the building where the offices were.

Looking over to the lift when it opened, Layla was surprised to recognise Patrick, the owner of AAA according to their website, walking out and over to her.

"Layla, right? Dave said you were expecting me," Patrick said, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Yes. You're Patrick? From the AAA Contractors website?" she asked with a grin, shaking his hand.

He frowned slightly, and Layla realised her error in shaking a super's hand without knowing their power first, or at least protecting herself (as the Commander had done that night, thick gloves repelling anything they might try to do, despite all being freshmen at Sky High). She pulled her hand away quickly, but it seemed to be enough, Patrick's eyes almost rolled up in the back of his head, words pouring from his throat without him seeming aware of them.

"Layla Williams. Mother, deceased. Father, unknown. Only known living relative, Greta Auden. Adulterer, civilian..."

The words finished flowing there, almost as if forced to stop, and Patrick straightened up, giving a slight cough.

"Sorry, I forgot to put my gloves back on. As you can see, skin-to-skin contact becomes a bit of a problem when I meet new people," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "If you'll allow me to shake your hand again, I can promise it won't happen now," Patrick said, holding out his hand once more.

A whisper of the vine under her skin gave Layla a sense of protection, and she knew that even if Patrick was lying, she wouldn't be quite so vulnerable this time around. Cautiously, she shook his hand and waited for a reaction. Patrick gave a grin at her expression.

"Told you. It only happens the first time around. Unless I decide otherwise," he added with a shrug.

"All right then... Dave said you had a message for the Mayor?"

"Yeah, that's what I told him. It's for you actually. I just had to make sure you were actually my customer by the same name," Patrick said, slipping his gloves on easily.

Not entirely pleased with his methods, Layla crossed her arms and waited for his message.

"I just wanted to let you know that everything's ready to be done, I just need those two forms with the Mayor's signature for the above and underground work. Also, just in case you were wondering, I am completely neutral and my services offer complete confidentiality. So long as I get my money, I don't care if you're the next Baron Battle. Once the job's finished, all of the paperwork is destroyed on my end. I suggest you do the same."

Under her skin the vine rippled, and Layla immediately knew that she could disable the internal cameras with one burst of power, a vine wrapping around his neck and squeezing, long before Dave could get to the top floor to stop her.

"Thank you for your suggestion, Patrick. I'm sure I won't need to do anything quite so drastic, but I appreciate your honesty," Layla said, carefully manoeuvring her way around the minefield of words, words that could incriminate her if taped or repeated.

He just nodded in response. "It's form SW100 and SW101, and you need to attach both proposed designs to the forms for the Mayor to look over before he signs them. Once you get those to my office, along with the initial deposit, we'll get started."

"All right. I'll try to get those forms signed and send them to you by the end of the week."

"Look forward to it. I'll email you the bank details so you can transfer the deposit."

"Thank you, Patrick."

"You're welcome. Have a good night, Miss Williams," he replied cheerfully, heading back over to the elevators.

When he was gone Layla went to _The Monster_, looking for the two forms she needed to get signed. She just had to think of some way to distract the Mayor so he wouldn't notice that the forms were different than the usual ones she gave him.

...

"Zachary Brighton! Get your fucking ass down here right now!"

"Coming, Dad," Zach called back.

He left his room quickly, trying to think of what he might have done wrong to make his father sound so angry. He couldn't think of anything in particular, but there was a brick-like feeling in the pit of his stomach that his father had somehow found out about Ethan.

"You called me?" he asked, stepping into the lounge room. His throat was as dry as a desert, a direct contrast to his sweaty palms, and his heart was racing so fast Zach was sure that it could be heard over the noise of the TV.

"Don't act all innocent with me, boy. I know what you've done! Did you honestly think you could fucking hide it from me?! It's all over the fucking news!" Mr. Brighton yelled, indicating to the television screen.

Somewhat glad that it wasn't about Ethan, Zach was still apprehensive as looked to the screen. Brian Anderson, the _Channel Five _reporter, was standing in front of the Maxville Mall. Will was standing beside him, his arm around Magenta's shoulders, and he was answering the reporter's questions about what had happened. Apparently, it was too difficult to keep from smiling at the attention he was receiving, because the grin on Will's face seemed almost as big as the screen itself.

"You blew up the lights in the mall, didn't you?" his father asked, distracting Zach's attention from the screen. "Don't fucking try to deny it!"

Zach opened his mouth to do that very thing, but saw the look in his father's eyes and realised that even if he did deny it, his father wouldn't believe him anyway. But he didn't dare get Heidi into trouble or reveal her power to their parents, so he stayed silent.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Mr. Brighton demanded.

"Nothing, sir. I did it, like you said," Zach replied.

His father's fist connected with his ribs sharply, the pain spreading as Zach clutched at his body, tears in his eyes. He didn't dare drop to the ground as he so desperately wanted to, knowing all too well that he'd be kicked. Another three punches were delivered to his ribs and stomach, and then his father turned away abruptly, a look of disgust on his face.

Still clutching his body, Zach left the lounge room and made his way upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. He collapsed on his bed, his eyes watering and his body glowing with his pain. His bedroom door opened slowly, and Zach opened his eyes blearily to see Heidi waiting there. He sat up and managed to grin brightly, waving her over. She slipped into his room, her fists clenched and unshed tears in her eyes. On his bedside table, his lamp shook violently.

"Heids, calm down," he said, gathering her into a hug. "It'll be fine, okay? Don't worry, and try not to blow anything up," Zach said, grinning slightly.

"Not funny, Zach. Why can't I use my power?" Heidi asked. "He'll deserve to have a few lightbulbs blown up in his face!" she growled.

"If you use your power then you'll be sent away to the country. You know that our folks can't afford another tuition."

"I know, and our aunt and uncle aren't the welcoming kind to supers," Heidi said, sighing as she remembered the cold treatment Zach had been given this past summer. The lamp stopped shaking, and she hugged him back carefully. "I'll try to be more careful next time."

"You said that last time, brat," Zach said with a small chuckle.

The action made him gasp in pain and Heidi shook her head at him, indicating for him to get into bed. When he was lying down flat on his back, she covered him in a blanket and left Zach to sleep.

...

Warren frowned slightly when he saw Will walking over to their lunch table. He nudged Ethan's chair with his foot slightly, and the boy stopped talking with Layla about the student files immediately, scooping a large spoonful of pudding into his mouth.

"What do you want, Stronghold?" Warren asked, glaring at him.

"I want to talk to Zach," Will replied, turning to look at the blonde boy.

"Me? What for, man? You haven't spoken to me since you and Magenta betrayed me," Zach said, scoffing at the very idea of them _talking _about anything.

"You burst those lights in the mall on the weekend, didn't you? We _both _saw you there, so don't try to deny it!" Will said, his cheeks red at the mention of betrayal. "You could have seriously injured innocent people! All for what? To get revenge on Magenta and me?" He took a breath, continuing before Zach could say his piece. "Don't you dare try to attack her or me again, or you'll regret it!"

The cafeteria was silent, the entire student population watching them intently. A loud scraping noise sounded as Warren stood up, the chair legs harsh against the cafeteria floor.

"You threatening him, Stronghold?"

Will faltered for a moment, unsure as how to respond. "He almost hurt Magenta. In public! There were innocent citizens around!"

"Are you more concerned about Magenta or the citizens?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"I... He... It's... She..."

"_Who, what, where, when, why, how_... Make up your mind, Stronghold. It's not that hard! You're either threatening Zach for _almost_ hurting Magenta or for _almost_ hurting the citizens. No one died, and the only person who was revealed to have superpowers was yourself, so I really don't see what the problem is," Layla said, rolling her eyes. "Unless, of course, you're far more upset at the fact that _your _superpowers were revealed?"

Will's cheeks went bright red, and he tried to stammer out something that no one quite heard. He eventually found his voice again, and glared at the four of them. "Don't do that again, or you'll be dealing with me **and **my parents," Will threatened, turning to leave.

"Tell me, Will... Have you told your parents that you don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three yet?" Layla asked, smirking slightly when his entire body froze mid-step.

Will forced himself to keep walking. He made his way to Magenta, but couldn't decipher her expression as to whether she was annoyed or pleased that he'd stood up for her, and simply sat down beside her without another word. Conversations started up again, a few people glancing at Will and Magenta surreptitiously.

"You didn't have to do that, Will," Magenta said, looking down at her tray.

"Yes, I did. You're my girlfriend, and I totally had to do that," he replied certainly.

She smiled briefly, her free hand slipping into his as she returned to her lunch.

"Well, that was fun," Layla said, grinning. "You going to sit down now, Warren?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Going outside to cool off. Coming?" he asked.

"Sure. You two coming with us?" Layla asked.

Ethan blinked in surprise, but Zach nodded quickly and stood up. Realising that he was going to be left alone at the table if he didn't follow them, Ethan grabbed his bag, what was left of his lunch, and hurried after them.

"How do you cool off exactly?" Ethan asked Warren, frowning briefly.

"Without a bucket of ice, I don't," Warren said with a shrug.

"I've got a cooler temperature, if you think it'll help," Ethan offered.

"Not sure that it will, but thanks anyway, Popsicle."

"Just how cool are you?" Zach asked, taking Ethan's hand in his own. "Oh, geez, that's nice. You're like my own personal ice pack," he said with a grin.

Ethan rolled his eyes, whacking Zach's shoulder. The pained noise he made in response had them all stopping in confusion. Ethan frowned, knowing that his pitiful hit wouldn't have been the cause of such pain.

"What's wrong, Zach?" he asked immediately, stepping towards him.

"N-nothing. Just fell over on the weekend," Zach replied quickly.

"I call bullshit," Warren said. "Tell the truth, glow stick."

A vine slithered up, lifting Zach's shirt until the four large fist-shaped bruises were revealed. Zach pushed his shirt down quickly, glaring at the three of them.

"Leave me alone," he hissed, turning and leaving as quickly as he could.

"What... What the hell was that?" Ethan asked, blinking in surprise.

"Come on, let's go after him. He might fall off the edge of the school," Layla said, going after Zach before the other two could reply.

Ethan was a step behind her, and Warren followed them. The sight of the four large bruises replayed over in his mind. He had seen the faint yellow outline of other bruises on Zach's chest, indicating all too clearly that this wasn't the first time he'd been hurt. Warren's fists lit up in a burst of flames, anger flowing through him in a hot white wave of power.

When they finally caught up to Zach, they were as close to the edge of the school grounds as they dared to go. Ethan gulped slightly as the wind pushed at them fiercely. Zach didn't move, but didn't look at them either. As they waited in the silence, Layla grew an arnica plant, a bunch of yellow daisy-like flowers blooming in front of her.

"Ground these down and put them on the bruises. They'll help," she promised quietly, handing him the flowers.

Zach took them without a word, but he leaned his head against Layla's shoulder, his hand slipping into Ethan's gently.

...

"Mr. Mayor? There's some paperwork that needs your signature, please," Layla said, offering the large stack to him before he could leave for the day.

"_Some _paperwork?" he echoed, staring.

"Sorry, Mr. Mayor. It's all last minute financial requests for election signage, advertising, TV spots, etc. If you'd like, you can leave it for later in the week?" Layla offered.

The Mayor frowned slightly, but sat down at his desk once more. "It's best to get it done now. Quickly now," he added, waving her forward.

"Yes, sir. I've also scheduled you in for three interviews over the next fortnight. One is with Brian Anderson of _Channel Five_ news - I've asked him for an overview of the questions he'll ask you to ensure there's no surprises. Another interview is with a local newspaper: _Maxville Metro News_; and the final one is with _Maxville's Max _radio station. They're going to play the interview twice in one day so they can reach a wider scope of listeners," Layla added, watching as he signed document after document without reading their contents.

"Excellent news about the radio station. If my interview with them goes well, get them to play it again in the fortnight leading up to the election, and I'll get the Commander and Jetstream in for an exclusive interview," the Mayor said, the last of the documents signed with a flourish.

"Yes, Mr. Mayor. If you'd like, I can also get _Channel Five _to put your interview online as well, so it can be seen by people who might miss it on TV?"

"Good, good. Is that all, Layla? I have an important dinner to attend to with my financial backers," he asked, looking at her as he stood up impatiently.

"That's all, thank you, Mr. Mayor," Layla said, gathering the stack of paperwork and leaving quickly.

The Mayor left his office mere seconds later, and within minutes of his departure, Layla was alone in the building. Sorting out her stack of paperwork, she went around to various desks to place the signed forms on her colleagues desks. Included in the papers were not only her forms required for her Secret Sanctum, but also a raise for Ms. Peace. Layla slipped that one in Nina's desk drawer, just in case.

...

"Caesar the Corruptible was known for: a) only wearing purple, b) being stabbed by his sidekick, c) his psychic ability, or d) all of the above?" Zach read out, frowning slightly. "Well, I'm fairly sure he wasn't psychic, so that rules out options c and d."

"In Julius Caesar's time, the colour purple was meant to signify that a person was of a higher ranking, or royal blood. Caesar the Corruptible didn't only wear purple though, despite taking his name from Julius Caesar," Ethan mused.

"So... He was stabbed by his sidekick?" Zach asked, his pen poised above his notebook.

"It was a fatal stabbing, so technically, it should say that he was killed by his sidekick. Or at least stabbed and killed," Ethan pointed out.

"Why did his sidekick stab him in the first place?" Layla asked curiously, looking up from her own work across the table.

"Apparently he made one too many sexist jokes. Lustful really didn't appreciate them, which is understandable. She went on to become a villain, and she made a fairly good name for herself - or bad, depending on your perspective. Her last fight was with the Commander, but then Lustful escaped imprisonment, completely disappeared, and no one's seen or heard from her since."

"_Lustful_?" Layla said, reminded of her thought about the Commander, Lustful, and Jetstream the week before. "_She _was Caesar's sidekick? How'd she get to be a sidekick with that sort of power?"

"According to various sources, Lustful wasn't able to control her power properly. She couldn't turn it off, and therefore it constantly drained her. She once collapsed in the middle of a heist because she overexerted herself on another robbery the day before," Ethan said, shaking his head. "Of course, it's utterly stupid to pull off two heists a day after each other. Not only are people more wary when a robbery's just been committed, but the villains are more likely to make a mistake that might have been avoided with more planning... Unless the plan was to rob more than one bank. But there are so many external factors that can't be accounted for in the second heist, even if the first one was pulled off successfully."

"How do you mean?" Layla asked, curious to know the answer, even as the vine under her skin whispered that Ethan was _almost _ready.

"Well, the first one's over and done with, so that's fine. The second one, even if it's less than 24 hours later, means that banks would have tightened their security; people would be far more reluctant to go into the bank after one had just been robbed, which means less hostages and less money being deposited back into the bank; then there's also the fact that police would have already been investigating the first robbery and putting together a profile of the robbers and their M.O., which could result in a longer prison time if the thieves were caught."

Ethan's words were cut off as Zach kissed him, both of their lips curving into a grin. The front door slammed open, and Zach pulled away, looking at his work determinedly. Feeling slightly dazed, Ethan licked his lips and grinned a little foolishly at Layla, who looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"What's M.O. stand for anyway?" Heidi asked from where she was sitting on the floor watching TV.

"_Modus operandi_. It's Latin, meaning 'way of operating'," Ethan replied.

"Zach, you didn't tell me that you were having friends over," his mother said, looking at the small group with a thin smile.

"We're just studying, and it's not for the night," Zach explained quickly.

"We'll be gone before dinner, Mrs. Brighton," Layla added with a smile. "Mrs. Damsale has offered to drive me home after dropping Warren off at work. In fact, I think she'll be here soon, so we should start packing up," she said, looking to the mess of paper and textbooks that covered the table.

Warren, who had been silent ever since arriving to Zach's house, stood up and smiled at Mrs. Brighton charmingly. "Did Mr. Brighton come home with you, Mrs. Brighton? I wanted to thank him."

"What for?" she asked in surprise; Warren had barely met her husband the last time Zach had organised this study group thing, and she doubted that there was anything he could be thanked for.

His response was cut off by a knock at the door. Zach ran to answer it quickly, almost sighing in relief when he saw that it was Mrs. Damsale.

"Hello, Zach. Are they ready to get going, or do I have time to come in and meet your parents?" Anita asked with a smile.

"Uhh..."

"Excellent," she said, stepping inside and past him fluidly. "Ah, you must be Zach's mother. I'm Ethan's mother, Anita. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Mrs. Brighton looked a little stunned at her intensity, and was still reeling from the idea of Warren needing to thank her husband for something. "Yeah, I'm Zach's mum. Why's it such a pleasure?" she asked, frowning.

Anita saw a young blonde girl in the lounge room, her eyes wide as she did a cutting motion under her neck, and she realised that Zach hadn't told his mother about his relationship with Ethan. Apparently, it seemed that the relationship wouldn't be approved of even if he did tell her.

"Oh, it's just that our sons are such great friends, and I've been looking forward to meeting the woman who raised such a wonderful young man," Anita said, keeping her smile firmly in place. "In fact, I would like to invite Zach to spend this weekend at my house, along with his sister, if that's all right with you? I can bring them back on Sunday afternoon, so you have the whole weekend to yourself."

It was more than obvious that Mrs. Brighton was suspicious and wary of Anita's intentions, but the idea of having a child-free weekend seemed too good to pass up, and she found herself nodding in response.

"Lovely. Zach, why don't you go pack a few spare clothes? Help your sister, and don't forget to bring your homework," Anita said, basically pushing Zach towards the stairs.

Heidi hurried after her brother quickly, unsure how to react.

"Are you really all right with having two extra kids running around?" Mrs. Brighton asked, seeming to gain some of her senses again. "They can be kind of a handful."

"Then all the more reason for you to have some time off. My husband and I only have Ethan, so I wouldn't mind a bit of noise to fill the place up," Anita said with a quick grin.

"Ready!" Heidi said from the top of the stairs, weighed down by two large bags.

Zach shook his head and took the bags from her. "I told you I could carry my own bag, Heids. You don't want to lug around big and bulky textbooks until you have to," he added with a grin.

When he was at the foot of the stairs, Warren reached over and grabbed both bags from him, ignoring Zach's cry of protest.

"Bye, Mrs. Brighton. I look forward to thanking your husband soon," Warren called over his shoulder, leaving to Anita's car without another word.

Heidi stood on her toes, kissed her mother's cheek, and hurried out. Zach kissed his mother too, giving her a brief smile before he said goodbye and left after his sister. Ethan and Layla, finally finished packing up, thanked Mrs. Brighton for letting them study there, before going to the car too.

"Lovely to meet you; I'll see you on Sunday afternoon," Anita said with a final pleasant smile, turning and leaving.

By the time Anita reached her car, the front door had slammed closed behind her.

...

End of the twenty-sixth chapter.

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty-Seven

...

Heidi was all too happy to help Mrs. Damsale in the kitchen while her brother and his friends studied. Anita seemed to be analysing all of them, taking in Heidi's thin frame, the way that Zach and Ethan couldn't stop grinning at each other, the secrets hidden in Warren's eyes, and the faint green tinge to Layla's skin that she couldn't quite attribute to a reflection of the girl's green clothing. Anita could _feel_ their power, and knew deep down that things were changing, that they were all experiencing changes that had nothing to do with their biology as growing teenagers. Closing her eyes, she sent up a silent prayer to keep these children safe and happy - no matter what path they chose, if the path was chosen for them, or they fell off the path completely - and left for the kitchen, hoping that her prayer would be enough.

The moment Anita was gone, Layla turned to Ethan, drawing him into a conversation about the students at Sky High and what he thought their strengths and weaknesses were. Ethan seemed pleased at her question, starting to list off the Hero Support in their year.

"Hey, Warren? What were you going to thank my dad for?" Zach asked curiously.

"For helping me to make a final decision about permanent markers," Warren replied, shrugging.

"What?" he asked, utterly confused.

Warren just grinned and didn't elaborate. He clicked his fingers, a small flame appearing on the tip of his finger. A brief thought had the flame becoming longer and thinner. A second more of concentration had the flame curling down along his finger, lengthening until he had a long string of fire wrapped around his forearm. Zach stared at him, Warren's motion almost too casual to be believed, despite the evidence burning away before his eyes.

"Oh, you've been practicing," Layla said, a bright grin on her face at his demonstration.

Warren grinned slightly, and the fire disappeared, only a small tendril of smoke remaining. Ethan seemed inspired by his demonstration and promptly liquefied. _Straight onto their textbooks and notepads_. At their surprised cries, he hurried to reform, pieces of paper stuck to him in various places.

"It's not coming off," Ethan said, his speech slurred by the large pad hanging from his lip.

"What?" Layla asked in surprise.

"_It's not coming off_," he repeated, tugging at the pages and wincing in pain.

Warren frowned slightly, reaching over to try and pull off one of the spare pages that was stuck to Ethan's shoulder.

"Ow! Don't do that, it hurts!" he slurred.

"Oh shit, oh shit. How the hell do we explain this to a hospital? Or your mum?" Zach asked, paling.

"Shut up, I'm thinking," Layla said sternly, a large leafy vine wrapping around Zach's mouth without her seeming to realise.

Warren looked at Ethan, wondering if he could burn the pages without burning him too. It was a fairly drastic action, and he figured that if just pulling a page hurt him, then burning him would be out of the question. _But how on earth were they hurting him? In fact, how the hell were they stuck to Ethan? The paper had been nowhere near Ethan's face and shoulders... until he'd melted_.

"Melt," Warren said, blinking in surprise at his own command.

"What?" Ethan asked.

(A muffled sound came from Zach, but he was obviously asking the same thing.)

"Melt down. We'll pick the papers off you."

"But what if they've somehow become a part of him, and melt down along with Ethan?" Layla pointed out.

"Well, Ethan will just have to concentrate really hard on only melting himself," Warren said.

At Layla's words, Ethan's eyes bulged slightly, and he was now looking terrified.

"It's better than anything I can think of. Sorry, Ethan," Layla said. "Try it now. If it doesn't work, we'll get your mum and she'll have to take you to the hospital."

Ethan eeped awkwardly. There were terrified tears in his eyes, and he shut them tightly, a tear escaping. He was melted down by the time the tear hit the floor. Layla breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the pages and book that were sitting atop Ethan's melted form. Working quickly and quietly, Zach, Layla and Warren picked up the pages and book carefully. As an extra precaution, they moved them far away from Ethan as well.

"Okay, try to reform now," Layla said softly.

He did so, his hands immediately moving to check that he was all there without any pieces of paper stuck to his body. Ethan sighed in relief, flopping backwards onto the floor. There was a muffled sound, and Layla realised that she'd gagged Zach.

"You could leave him like that while we study," Warren said, chuckling.

Despite the odd sounds he made, Zach's meaning was clear enough to be understood by all. Warren just chuckled again and Layla let the vine slip away gently.

"Good idea, getting him to melt like that," Layla said, moving to sit beside Warren properly.

"Thanks."

"I heard what you said to Zach about permanent markers. Did you mean it?" she asked quietly, seeing that Zach and Ethan were otherwise preoccupied.

"What do you think?" Warren asked, smirking slightly.

Even without the sudden onslaught of pain from the vine under her skin, Layla knew that Warren meant it completely and utterly. She kissed him hard, her hand a gentle contrast by resting against his cheek lightly.

"Now... I want to see Ethan try and do that again," Layla said when they'd pulled away.

"What?" Ethan asked, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Well, go on Popsicle, see if you can do it again," Warren said with a grin.

When Ethan looked to his boyfriend for help, Zach just grinned at him and scattered pieces of paper on the floor.

...

"Hi, Mrs. Woo. How are you?" Layla asked, smiling.

"Good, good. Not busy today, so lots of time to fold napkins," Mrs. Woo said, nodding to the large pile of plain napkins in front of her.

"Do you mind if I help? Warren's still in the kitchen, and I've already finished my homework for the night," she said, sitting across from Mrs. Woo when the woman nodded.

"You know how to fold origami crane?"

"Uh, no, I don't," Layla said with a bit of a laugh.

"It's okay. You do fan then," Mrs. Woo said, showing her how to fold a fan design with her own napkin. "Now you." she said, nodding encouragingly.

Layla attempted it, laughing a bit when the napkin fell in on itself.

"Again. Concentrate this time," Mrs. Woo said sternly.

Stopping herself from smiling again, Layla started refolding the napkin.

Almost an hour later, Warren found them sitting at the table, a mountain of folded napkins to the side. Layla had her head bent over the table, her fingers working quickly to smooth and fold the napkin before her. Across the table, Mrs. Woo was doing the same, and their synchronised motions creeped him out.

"Hippie? What are you doing?"

"Folding napkins. You were busy in the kitchen, and I had some spare time."

"You finished now, Layla," Mrs. Woo said, smiling and waving her away.

"Okay, bye Mrs. Woo," Layla replied with a smile of her own.

Warren said his own goodbye, hurrying to lead his girlfriend out of the restaurant. "You realise that Mrs. Woo is probably going to make you fold napkins every time you come in now, hippie?"

"I _asked_ to help, Warren. You were busy cleaning the kitchen," she added.

"That just makes it even worse, now she's going to make you work for free. She didn't make you sign a contract, did she?"

Layla laughed and shook her head. "No, I'm not that naive, Warren."

"You just worked for free," he pointed out.

"I worked for the future possibility of free Chinese food," Layla corrected, grinning. "Come on, I want to go out to the Hive," she said, taking his hand.

"Fine, but only if we go back to my house to sleep. I don't want to have to go out there only to take you to your Great Aunt's before going back home," Warren muttered, the words themselves enough to make him feel tired.

"Fine by me. We've got a study group at Ethan's tomorrow anyway," she replied with a shrug.

Pulling out her phone, she text Greta to let her know that she wouldn't be home that night, and not to worry about her. Layla kept all of her texts to her Great Aunt, wanting to keep proof handy if Greta tried telling Frieda that she was being irresponsible or something equally ridiculous.

The bus pulled up a few minutes later, and they both boarded quietly, moving to sit at the back as per usual. Layla watched the scenery pass, the weeds along the side of the road flowering and wilting abruptly as she pressed her hand against the window.

"You're not meant to use your powers outside of school, hippie," Warren whispered in her ear, and she could _hear_ his grin even without seeing him.

She laughed softly and continued with her game, looking at his grinning reflection in the window. "Can you really see Principal Powers expelling me for making a few weeds bloom?"

"No, I can't. But I bet if I set them alight, I'd be kicked off the edge of the school grounds," he pointed out.

"That would be unfair," Layla agreed with a frown.

"It's high school, and we have very different powers. You make a forest grow overnight, no one's going to complain. I set a forest on fire, it'll make front page news."

"Well now, that depends on where I grow the forest," she replied, grinning.

"The middle of the mall would be pretty disastrous for some people," he said, chuckling.

"Or in the Mayor's office."

"A school assembly."

"In a cinema."

"On public transport."

"On _school_ transport," Layla countered with a laugh.

"In the school's anti-gravitation device," Warren said, his voice low and hot against her cheek.

"Huh. That really would be disastrous," she murmured, sounding as if she was truly considering it.

Realising that they were almost about to miss their stop, Layla hurried to press the button, the bus lurching to a stop. She almost fell off of the seat, Warren grabbing her around the waist to keep her seated.

"Thanks, Warren," Layla said with a grin.

He gave a brief nod and followed her off the bus, Layla thanking the driver.

"You're really considering a forest in the anti-gravitation device?" Warren asked as they watched the bus' tail lights disappearing in the distance.

When the bus was no longer in sight, Warren lit his hands and they walked down to the field that had a large 'SOLD' sign in front of it.

"It would definitely work, and the trees would make it difficult for anyone to repair it," Layla said.

"It would also be extremely difficult to get seeds in the actual device to grow them into trees. Magenta barely fit in there while powered up," he pointed out.

"Ethan wouldn't have a problem. He'd just have to concentrate on dropping the seeds without reforming in such a small space."

Warren went quiet, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, wow. Look how much they've done so far!" Layla said excitedly, all thoughts of forests and anti-gravitational devices fleeing her mind for the moment.

Following her to the edge of a pit, Warren looked down to see a long ladder descending down into the darkness. A vine came out from Layla's shirt and she carefully lowered it down into the pit, wanting to know just how much had been done so far. About ten metres of her vine had been lowered into the hole - she discovered that some of the tunnels had already been created - when her phone started ringing.

"Hope that's not my Great Aunt. I wasn't expecting a reply from her," Layla muttered, pulling out her phone with her free hand. "Huh. It's Mrs. Stronghold. What's she calling me for?"

"Answer the phone and find out," Warren said, shrugging.

The vine sank into the earth and Layla stepped away from the edge of the pit, answering the phone cheerfully. Warren's teeth ached at the sugary fake tone she used.

"Hello, Mrs. Stronghold. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Layla asked sweetly, ignoring Warren's pained expression at her tone.

He watched the array of emotions cross her face, but still had no idea what Will's mother wanted from Layla. _Unless she'd called Layla to reiterate Will's threat about Zach_?

"Of course, Mrs. Stronghold. I would love to meet you tomorrow... Can it be after lunch? I have a study group in the morning, and wouldn't want to get behind in my studies," Layla said, pausing as Josie answered. "All right, see you there. Good night, Mrs. Stronghold."

"Well?" Warren asked when she'd hung up the phone, his curiosity piqued.

"Mrs. Stronghold wants to meet me to discuss Will. Apparently, she thinks that he isn't being entirely honest with her, and believes that I may know the answer. She also mentioned something about needing a woman to talk to before she starts comparing golf handicaps with the Mayor."

"What, there are no other super women for her to talk to?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Apparently, none that want to listen to _her_," Layla said, grinning. Her grin faded as she looked back to the gaping hole before them. "I don't particularly want to ruin the contractors' work by going down there before it's ready for human habitation. I'd hate to set the work back and have to pay them more than the agreed price," she muttered.

"How long did they say it would take, anyway?" Warren asked as they headed back to the bus stop.

"Six weeks. I wanted to make sure that they'd actually started now that they've been paid," Layla replied.

"Hmm, and how long until the cameras are finished in Maxville Metropolis?" he asked.

"They're meant to be finishing this week. Looks like your mother's going to win the bet if they stay on track," she said, grinning.

"Mum'll probably bribe them to work faster with coffee and cookies just to win the bet," Warren said with a chuckle.

"It's a pretty big kitty, I wouldn't be surprised."

Warren frowned slightly as Layla started walking down the road rather than up to the bus stop. "Where are you going?" he called after her.

"The bus isn't coming for another two hours. I reckon we could walk to your house faster," she replied over her shoulder.

"You're _serious_, aren't you?" Warren groaned in disbelief.

"Yes, I am. Come on, it's better than sitting on those awful seats."

Muttering under his breath about psychotic redheads, Warren reluctantly followed Layla down the road.

"I've been standing for the better half of the day, hippie, my feet are already killing me without this sudden need to walk for two straight hours."

"It's not going to take two hours," Layla replied certainly. "If your feet are hurting that much, then take your shoes off. I'll keep the road soft for you," she added with a smile.

"If I stop to take my shoes off, I'm not going to keep going," Warren muttered.

Layla just shook her head and continued to walk along the road, her hand slipping into Warren's as he stayed beside her.

...

"Ethan, Zach, Heidi! Layla and Warren are here," Anita called up the stairs.

"Coming!" the chorus replied.

Smiling, Anita opened the door. She was greeted with a bright Layla and moody Warren, who was still clutching a travelling mug full of coffee and looking as if he would kill anyone who came near him before he'd finished the caffeinated concoction. He gave a brief nod and made his way inside without a word.

"Morning, Mrs. Damsale. Never mind, Warren. He was forced to walk for forty-five minutes last night. I don't think he'll ever get over it," Layla said, laughing softly. "He's also not a morning person, so he'll be unintelligible until he's finished his coffee."

"I'm intelligible, hippie. I just don't _want_ to be," Warren muttered from the lounge room, keeping his eyes firmly closed.

Anita held back her laugh and stepped aside so Layla could come in. "I've made pancakes for breakfast if you're interested?"

"Ooh, I am!" Heidi said excitedly. "Hi Layla. Hi Warren," she called into the lounge room as she passed by to go to the kitchen.

Warren made a grunt of acknowledgement, his eyes still closed as he sipped at his coffee.

"Did I hear something about pancakes?" Zach asked, hurrying downstairs and to the kitchen with a bright grin.

"Mum usually makes pancakes on Sunday morning, not Saturday. She must be trying to spoil Heidi and Zach," Ethan said as he came downstairs and saw Layla at the entry.

"Looks like it's working," she said with a grin. "I won't say no to pancakes either."

"Maybe if we dip one in coffee, Warren would have one too," Ethan said with a grin.

Layla laughed as she went with him into the kitchen. "Not a bad idea, really. If there's a spread made from coffee, it could work."

"Here you go, kids. We've got Nutella, jams, sugar, lemon, and butter," Anita offered, a large stack of pancakes set on the table before them.

Heidi's eyes widened comically and Zach's jaw went slack at the sight of so many pancakes in one place.

"I've got first dibs on the Nutella," Ethan said, swiping the container before anyone could react.

"Don't eat it with a spoon," Anita admonished, shaking her head at her son.

"I think I'll stick with the lemon and sugar, thank you," Layla said, sitting down and taking a pancake.

Heidi looked as though she didn't know where to start, her eyes darting between everyone and everything, but still managing to keep a very careful eye on the pancake stack.

"Oh, pancakes! Wait, did I sleep through Saturday?" Ethan's father asked in confusion as he made his way into the kitchen.

"I decided to make pancakes this morning," Anita said, her eyebrow raised as she looked to their guests meaningfully.

"Right. They smell delicious, dear, as always," Richard said quickly, taking a pancake before they were all devoured.

Warren, who had finished his coffee, wandered into the kitchen and took a seat next to Layla. He thanked Anita as he took a pancake from the rapidly disappearing stack.

"You're most welcome, Warren. Does anyone want any more?" she asked, looking at each of them.

"No, thank you, Mrs. Damsale," Layla replied.

Zach shook his head, four pancakes stacked before him and half of one already shoved into his mouth. Heidi didn't look as though she heard, eating the three pancakes before her with a reverence, each piece cut up precisely and placed in her mouth carefully, as if she would never have food as heavenly as this again. Ethan shook his head, two pancakes before him. Richard was busy spreading as much butter on his pancake as he could.

"Richard, remember what the doctor said about your cholesterol. Put that butter back," Anita said sternly.

"It's already on my pancake, I really shouldn't waste it," Richard protested.

Her mouth set in a firm line, Anita swapped her plate with her husband's. Sighing at the sight of the plain pancake, Richard began to eat it quickly when Anita folded her arms, not looking at all impressed with him.

"Thank you so much for breakfast, Mrs. Damsale," Heidi gushed, finally finished her pancakes.

"You're welcome, Heidi. Would you like to go out with Richard and me today? I'm sure you'd be bored with the others doing homework. I can come back in time to take you to work, Warren," Anita offered with a warm smile.

"Thanks, Mrs. Damsale," Warren replied, nodding briefly.

"Where are you going?" Heidi asked curiously, looking between the two adults.

"We haven't decided yet," Richard said, shrugging. "Anywhere you'd like to go?"

Heidi frowned, thinking about her decision carefully. "The science museum has a new light exhibition. That'd be cool."

"All right, that's where we're going then," Anita said with a decisive nod. "I'd better get changed. I don't think the outside world would appreciate my pyjamas and bathrobe," she added with a chuckle, leaving.

Heidi left quickly, looking so excited that Zach couldn't even bring himself to tell her to be careful. _A light display with hundreds of bulbs, and if Heidi lost control of her emotions, the display would be nothing more than a mess of glass and screams_. With his wife no longer watching over his shoulder, Richard hurried to slather the remainder of his pancake in butter, quietly adding for them not to tell Anita. Chewing it as fast as he dared, Richard left to get dressed too.

"If you're finished stuffing your face, Zach, _some_ of us have to get to work in three hours and need to study before then," Warren said.

"What do you mean 'some of us'? Layla doesn't work weekends," Zach pointed out, slumped in his chair, his stomach feeling full enough to burst.

"The election is coming up soon, so I have to start going in on Saturdays to help with the campaign," Layla replied.

"I'll go get my books," Ethan said, standing to leave.

"You do that. I'll just have a three hour nap," Zach mumbled, closing his eyes.

"I guess I'll just have to find someone else to be my sidekick then."

At Layla's words, Ethan went completely still, and Zach sat bolt upright and stared at her.

"W-what? You want me to be your sidekick?" Zach asked, starting to grin at the idea.

"Of course I do, but only if you work for it and take this seriously. I can't have a sidekick who can't remember which part of the utility belt has an inflatable boat and which part releases a net," Layla said, rolling her eyes.

"I... I thought you'd choose Ethan to be your sidekick," Zach admitted, his cheeks slightly red at the reminder of his utility belt mishap the year before.

"I thought about it, but in the end, I decided that your light power could be helpful and would better complement my power to grow things. I don't know what kind of light rays you emit though, so that would be interesting to find out," Layla mused.

"You're going to be my sidekick, Popsicle," Warren added, grinning when Ethan's eyes widened.

"But I _melt_. How does that complement your power? I'm probably not even strong enough to complement Paul, and he's a human hose," Ethan said, trying to sound matter-of-fact about it rather than whinging.

"Exactly, and who would be suspicious about a puddle of water? You can liquefy and stay clear, and as we recently found out, you can stick to things while half-formed," Warren said with a grin. "Besides, you're smart too, and the hippie thinks I need a sidekick who's smarter than me," he added, rolling his eyes.

Ethan's cheeks went red at the compliments, and he managed an awed 'thank you' before rushing upstairs to get his books.

"If the man could glow, he'd be brighter than me," Zach said with a chuckle. "I'll take it more seriously now," he added, getting up to follow Ethan upstairs to get his books too.

Warren looked to Layla when they were alone. "Care to explain, hippie?"

"I thought I just did? Zach's power is going to grow and change, and he'll be as powerful as any Hero. Ethan's power is still changing, and I just know that it's going to end up being something that you might need or use," Layla said.

"I mean, why tell them _now_?"

"Zach looked like he needed an incentive to take this seriously. Now I've give him one, so he has no excuses for slacking off," she replied simply, shrugging.

"By the look on his face, I'd say that the glow stick's going to compete against the Popsicle for your year's _Smartest Hero Support_ title," Warren said, chuckling.

"Hey, I'm fond of that title, thank you! Can Hero Support have Hero Support?" Ethan asked with a grin, coming into the room with Zach.

"I think that's where the superhero's pet comes into the hierarchy," Layla said, laughing.

"Talking donkeys, thieving monkeys, a dugong," Zach said, grinning.

"Which superhero has any of those animals, especially a dugong?" Ethan asked with a frown.

"Shrek, Aladdin... Uh, Aquaman might've had a dugong. If he didn't, he should've. Dugongs are awesome and would totally crush his enemies!"

"Not a superhero, not a superhero, shouldn't have been a superhero," Ethan muttered.

"That's not the point."

"Didn't Aquaman have seahorses and dolphins as pets?" Layla asked, frowning.

"Don't encourage them, now no one's going to do any work," Warren groaned.

"Oh, right. We'd better work," Zach said, opening his textbook and grinning at the others' surprised looks. "What? I told you I was going to take it more seriously," he said, shrugging.

"I didn't think you actually meant it," Warren said.

"Hey, I don't go back on my word. Or, at least, I try not to," Zach said.

"Good. Let's keep it that way, glow stick," he replied, opening his textbook too.

Ethan grinned, both he and Layla following suit as they settled down to study.

...

End of the twenty-seventh chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty-Eight

...

As Josie entered her home, she found that she was _still_ reeling from the information Layla had told her over lunch. She just couldn't understand _why_ Will didn't want to be part of the Stronghold Three.

_Had she done something wrong? Was he embarrassed to be fighting alongside Steve and herself? Why didn't Will think that he could tell her that he didn't want to fight with them? She was a good mother, and an approachable one, surely_?

"Hello, Mrs. Stronghold," Magenta said as Josie came into the kitchen.

"Oh, hello Magenta. I didn't know you were coming over today," Josie said, glancing at the mess in the kitchen and feeling her stomach knotting. "I'm sorry about the mess in the kitchen. It's usually much cleaner than this, but we had pizza last night and the boys were too lazy to put their plates away," she said, hurrying over to the bench to clean it properly. (She might have risen a couple of centimetres from the ground in her rush.)

"It's fine, Mrs. Stronghold. I have a younger brother, and he doesn't put anything away either," Magenta said with a wry grin.

Josie nodded absent-mindedly, already starting to clean the kitchen. "Where's Will?" she asked, her tone a little too intense to sound casual.

"He went upstairs with Mr. Stronghold. Something about a weight-lifting challenge. I didn't want to get squished by one of those weight plate thingies, so I decided to stay downstairs instead," she replied.

"Oh. Has Will finished his homework then?" Josie asked, frowning.

Magenta was silent for a long moment. "I don't think so. Sorry, Mrs. Stronghold."

"It's not your fault, Magenta. Will! Steve!" she called loudly.

A few loud crashes came from upstairs, metal hitting metal, and she finished putting the dishes away in the dishwasher when Will and Steve came into the kitchen, looking a little breathless and guilty.

"Hello, dear. Have a good lunch?"

"Fine. Will, why haven't you finished your homework?"

"Ah, well, Dad challenged me to a weight-lifting competition. I couldn't say no, Mum. I need to keep my strength up!" (He found that he could lift even _more_ than what he'd pretended to lift at the beginning of last year, and lifting that weight 200 times was a _breeze_.)

"Why?"

"Well, so I can... y'know, join you and Dad. Be part of the Stronghold Three," Will said with a brief grin, not understanding why she was questioning him over this.

Usually, the moment he'd made any sort of reference to his powers had resulted in hours' long conversations about the Stronghold Three; costumes, colours, names, the whole nine yards.

"But you don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three, do you Will?" Josie asked, looking at him pointedly.

"Uh, I might just get going now. Mum wants me to babysit my brother anyway," Magenta said, gathering her things quickly.

There was a long and awkward silence as Magenta packed up, and she kissed Will's cheek as she said goodbye and left, coming close to running out of the house just to escape the awful tension-filled atmosphere.

"But you _have_ to be part of the Stronghold Three, Will. Otherwise it'd just be the Stronghold Two. And your mother and I are already doing that," Steve said, frowning.

"Who told you I don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three?" Will asked his mother with a frown.

"I figured it out myself, Will. I'm your mother, I can tell when something's bothering you," she said firmly.

"Ah, okay then. Well, it's not that I don't **want** to be part of the Stronghold Three," Will said, already floundering over his words and what to say.

"But?" Josie queried, giving Steve a look to keep him quiet.

"But... I don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three. I mean, you and Dad are a great team, the best in the world. But I don't want to ruin that for you. I'll be in the way, and I'd hate it if something happened because you two were always worrying about me," Will said, hoping to appease their egos as he skimmed over the real truth.

Josie was silent for a moment, thinking back to the conversation she'd had with Layla. She'd told her that Will didn't want to disappoint them. _He didn't want to ride on their coat-tails to get by in the super world. He wanted to be his own person without being in the shadows of his famous parents any more than he already was_.

"You really mean that you don't want to be in our shadows any more, don't you, Will? We're two of the most famous superheroes in the world, and you're already trying to live up to the name and example we've set for you, aren't you?" Josie asked.

Will wasn't entirely sure that he was, or even what his mother was actually talking about towards the end there, but he nodded quickly. _Anything to make this conversation stop_.

"You're right, and we shouldn't have done that to you. We should have considered what it'd do to you if you were brought into the Stronghold Three," Josie said, sighing heavily. "From now on, there'll be no more talk about the Stronghold Three, and while we'll be upset and worried at first, your father and I will be so very proud of you when you go out there on your own and defeat your very first villain," she said, hugging him.

"Uh, thanks Mum. You really mean it? I don't have to be part of the Stronghold Three?" Will asked warily.

"I mean it. **We** mean it, don't we, Steve?"

"We do? I mean, of course we do. Go out there and be your own man, son," Steve said, slapping him on the back.

"Okay then. Thanks. I'm going to go catch up with Magenta now," Will said, grinning at his parents and running out of the house before they could change their minds.

"So who's going to be the third person in the Stronghold Three now? Josie?" Steve called, frowning when his wife rolled her eyes at him and left the room.

...

"Why do you look so happy, hippie?" Warren asked her as he washed the dishes at the _Paper Lantern_.

Everyone else had already left, leaving Warren to clean up the kitchen. Layla, who had finally finished her afternoon of working at the Mayor's office to help with the upcoming election, had slipped in through the back door to surprise him, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades and watching him relax as he turned to kiss her properly. She'd pulled away to let him finish his job and as he stacked the dishwasher, Layla told him about the lunch conversation she'd had with Josie Stronghold.

"I'm fairly certain that I broke up the Stronghold Three before they'd even begun," Layla said, grinning broadly. "They might've been a serious threat if all three of them were fighting together, but separately they'll be easier to deal with."

"You really think defeating the Commander and Jetstream will be _easy_?"

"I didn't say it would be _easy_. I just said it'd be easier than if it was all three of them. I was being optimistic, not stupid," she said, grinning.

"Speaking of optimism, are you staying at my place tonight?" Warren asked, smiling at her with that broad heart-melting smile she was so fond of.

"Not tonight," Layla said, shaking her head. "I haven't stayed at Greta's house for a few nights, and if I don't stay there at least once this weekend, she'll call Frieda."

"All right, I'll take you home then," Warren said, putting the last clean dish away and taking off his apron.

Layla waited patiently as he went to grab his bag from the locker area, and they left through the back door, Warren locking the door behind them firmly.

"How's the election stuff going?" Warren asked as they headed to the bus stop.

"Not bad. The Mayor seems to be getting a lot of public support in the polls, and the phones are ringing like crazy. I swear I saw your mum answering two phone calls, writing an email, and faxing someone else all at the same time."

"Doesn't surprise me," he muttered, shaking his head with a grin.

The bus pulled up, the driver nodding at them as they boarded. Layla talked more about her work as the bus trundled along, Warren watching her facial expressions and exaggerated hand movements more than he was listening to what she was actually saying. He glanced out the window and saw that Layla's stop was coming up _very damn soon_, and pressed the button before they missed it entirely. The bus screeched to a halt, and Layla thanked the driver as they got off the bus. She quietened down as they walked along the street, and he cringed on seeing Frieda's car in the driveway.

"If she calls me _cutie_, I won't be hold accountable for my actions," Warren muttered.

"There's no need for such dramatics until she brings up baby names," Layla replied firmly, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Not funny, hippie," he growled.

Layla just smiled at him and knocked at the front door, opening it carefully. "Greta, I'm home," she called.

"About time, young lady. What sort of hour do you call this?" Greta asked, coming out of the lounge room with a glare. "And you're bringing Warren into my house at this time, too?"

"Warren offered to walk me home, since he didn't want me catching the bus on my own so late at night. The Mayor's work for his electoral campaign finished later than I expected, and I didn't get a chance to text you. Sorry, Greta," Layla said demurely.

"See, Greta, I told you there was a valid reason Layla was out so late," Frieda said, leaving the lounge room with a sigh. "And it was lovely of Warren to bring you home safely. You must be exhausted, you poor dear," she added, patting his hand gently.

"I'm all right, thank you Mrs. Olgestein," Warren said with a quick smile.

"Uh-uh, not anymore. You are now looking at Ms. Frieda Ruth Bettendorf," Frieda said proudly, showing her ring-less finger.

"Your divorce was finalised already? That was quick; I thought Henry was going to take you to court?" Layla asked in surprise.

"He changed his tune," Greta said, knowing perfectly well that Layla knew why the divorce had been settled so damn quickly - Layla had been the one to force Henry into giving Frieda exactly what she wanted, after all!

"Indeed he did. I even got the Monet painting," Frieda said, smiling. "He always claimed that it was a fake just so he wouldn't have to pay higher insurance, but I got it valued last week and it's _real_. I've got it locked in a vault until it can be donated to the art museum."

"That's very nice of you, Frieda," Layla said.

"It's the least I could do. That bastard ex-husband of mine hid the thing away in a smelly old warehouse for years, it's time the world got to see the painting's beauty once more."

"Layla's home safe, you can go now," Greta said to Warren, waving at him in a shooing motion.

"Oh, no, he couldn't go yet. The bus doesn't come for another thirty minutes, you don't want to wait outside in the cold for all that time," Frieda said to Warren, shaking her head.

"I don't mind, Ms. Bettendorf," Warren said, seeing the glare on Greta's face.

"Nonsense. Come on, cutie. We'll go into the kitchen and I'll make everyone hot chocolate. I'm sure Greta won't mind," Frieda added over her shoulder, taking Warren's arm and leading him away before anyone could protest.

From the tense set of his shoulders, Layla could tell that Warren was trying not to lose it at being called _cutie_ yet again.

"No, I don't mind," Greta said between clenched teeth, each word sounding as if it was being forced from her unwillingly.

Layla briefly wondered if Honey was a second generation super, or if she'd tell her even if she asked.

"What sort of hold does Frieda have over you?" she asked Greta, not really expecting an answer.

"It's none of your business!" she hissed, pushing past to go to the kitchen.

_Well, that just confirmed the fact that Frieda _**_did_**_ have something to hold over Greta_. Layla shook her head and headed into the kitchen as well, hoping that Frieda would use soy milk for her drink.

...

Wendy was tired of always looking over her shoulder, waiting for something or someone to come up to her and tell her that her debt to Layla and Warren was due. She decided to do something about it and deliberately sat next to Layla during the next school assembly.

"Hello Wendy. Is there something I can do for you?" Layla asked, sounding pleasant but confused as to why she was sitting there.

"I want to talk to you about my debt."

"There isn't much to talk about, but if you insist," she said, shrugging. "When would you like to meet?"

"Sooner rather than later. I don't want to put this off."

"Fine. It'll have to be here at school; I have to work in the evenings. How about tomorrow after Save the Citizen?"

"Fine by me," Wendy said.

They both fell silent as Principal Powers stood up to give her speech about camaraderie and being team players. Wendy found it odd that Layla was watching and listening intently, as if she was actually serious about being a model citizen (or superhero). She'd add it to the list of questions she wanted to ask Layla tomorrow.

...

"I am very pleased to announce that the installation of the cameras throughout Maxville's metropolis has been completed in exactly two weeks," the Mayor announced with a broad smile. "Testing has also been completed in this time, so all areas of the media will now be able to record any future fights between a villain and the Commander and Jetstream in complete safety."

With his speech to the press finished, the reporters applauded briefly and then started asking questions. The questions were mostly reiterations about what the Mayor would do with the cameras (which he stressed was nothing; they wouldn't even turn the cameras on unless a fight was occurring), and if the citizens of Maxville could access the cameras during a fight for real-time images (the possibility was being worked on, but as of yet there were no current developments for this happening).

In the wings of the Mayor's office, Nina was standing with Layla, grinning broadly.

"How about you finish early tonight and I'll take you and Warren out for dinner with my winnings?" Nina offered.

It took Layla a moment to realise that Nina had won the office's bet, and the rather substantial kitty that had been collected.

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that, Nina. It's your money," Layla started to say.

"Exactly, and I want to take you and Warren out for dinner," Nina interrupted. "It's been a while since I've dressed up and gone somewhere fancy. As I don't particularly want to dine alone, I'm inviting you and dragging Warren along with me."

Layla hid a smile at the thought of Nina physically dragging her son anywhere.

"All right then, Ms. Peace. I'd love to go out to dinner with you. I'll try to finish work at seven o'clock instead of eight, would that be all right?"

"Perfect. Now, I've just got to convince my son to wear a pair of jeans that doesn't have a hole in them," Nina said with a grin.

...

"We're going to dinner, not a funeral, Mum. I refuse to wear a tux," Warren said through the door, pulling a shirt over his head.

"I'm taking you out to a nice restaurant. They won't let you in with hole-filled jeans," Nina replied pointedly.

"Fine, I'll wear pants that don't have holes, happy?"

"Leave the leather jacket at home and I will be," she replied.

"Not happening!"

"Why not?"

Warren sighed and opened the door. "Because I'm comfortable in this jacket, and I'm not compromising my comfort for some stupid restaurant that probably serves things in calorie sizes."

"I suppose that's a good enough reason," Nina said with a sigh, going to get her bag from the lounge room. "I hope you're going to compliment me in the next five minutes, by the way. It's the first time I've been able to fit into this dress in seven years!"

"Didn't think I'd seen that dress before. You look nice."

"_Nice_? Please, I look fabulous," Nina said, laughing. "Come on, let's go out," she said, kissing his cheek and heading out.

Warren wiped his cheek quickly and followed her.

...

Layla thanked the waiter as she made her way into the restaurant, the man guiding her to where Warren and Nina were already waiting.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I would have called to let you know, but I must've forgotten to charge my phone last night," she explained, sitting down on the chair the waiter pulled out for her. "Thank you," Layla said to the waiter over her shoulder with a smile.

"Not at all, Miss," he replied with a brief nod, leaving to get their menus.

"It's nothing to worry about, Layla. You were only a few minutes late," Nina said, smiling at her reassuringly. "Was there a lot to do? Is the photocopying too much?"

"Oh no, the photocopying's a lot easier now that it's all being scanned and emailed. The radio interviews that were scheduled for the Mayor tomorrow morning were changed at the last minute, so I had to sort that out. It took a bit longer than I expected."

"What happened?" Nina asked, frowning slightly.

"Apparently interviewing the actor for latest the action-romantic-comedy movie that's coming out this weekend is more important than their interview with the Mayor. They wanted to change his appointment to the Friday afternoon slot, which means he would miss a large percent of the younger voters who go out on Friday night rather than listen to the radio."

"So what'd you do?" Warren asked.

The waiter interrupted with a brief apology, offering the menus and enquiring about their drink orders. They placed their drink order and took a moment to look at the menus. Layla raised her eyebrows at the exorbitant prices for what looked to be rather small servings - if the other diner's plates were anything to go by, at least - and Warren grinned, nudging his mother when he saw that the calorie size was listed beside each meal.

"Shut up or you won't get anything," Nina threatened.

Warren wisely shut up and returned his attention to the menu, a grin tugging on his lips.

When the waiter returned, they placed their orders, waiting until he had left again before resuming their conversation.

"I ended up cancelling the appointment with that radio station and getting five appointments with their competitors instead. It might be a lot for the Mayor, but I was able to cancel the appointments for the day after, so he'll be able to relax."

"I can find the name of his favourite pampering place; it might tide him over easier," Nina offered.

"Thank you, I'm sure he'd appreciate that," Layla said with a smile.

"The Mayor has a favourite pampering place?" Warren asked, chuckling.

"Yes, it's very relaxing for someone in such a high-profile and stressful position. There are decisions that the Mayor has to make that no one knows about, let alone would ever want to make for themselves," Nina said sternly.

"Like what?" Warren asked in disbelief.

"The kinds of decisions that I don't have clearance for, but involve a lot of nameless men in black suits," Nina replied.

"Sounds interesting," Layla said, smiling brightly. "Oh, there's our food," she said suddenly, nodding over Nina's shoulder.

"Great, I'm starving," Warren said, sitting up a bit straighter.

"We've only been waiting fifteen minutes, I seriously doubt you're hungry enough to be starving, Warren," his mother replied, shaking her head slightly.

"Spaghetti fungi?" the waiter asked, serving the plate to Layla when she nodded.

Warren's chilli con carne and Nina's chicken Singapore noodles were served next, and the table fell into silence as they all ate quietly. As she twirled strands of spaghetti on her fork, Layla wondered just what sort of decisions the Mayor had to make that would involve people that - from the sounds of things - were from the Super Bureau.

...

End of the twenty-eighth chapter.

Thank you for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Twenty-Nine

...

"Okay, final question," Wendy said, glancing at Layla to determine if she would answer truthfully. "Why the hell are you so nice all the time? I mean, Gwen was popular, but she wasn't _nice_. She did things to get her own way, which some people mistook for her being nice, but she really wasn't."

"I know. One of the reasons Gwen wasn't suspected until the end was due to that mistake. People never expect the nice ones to do anything other than be nice. Besides, the nicer you are to someone, the more things they'll do for you without questioning it."

"Oh, that's a load of bullshit. No matter how nice you are, you can't ask anyone to do _anything_ and they'll just do it, no questions asked!"

"I believe that you could. Within reason, obviously. I wouldn't go up to Ron Wilson and ask him to kill Will for me, pretty please with a cherry on top? But over time, it might be achieved."

"I'll believe that when I see it. Ron Wilson is Will's biggest fanboy," Wendy said, rolling her eyes.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Layla agreed with a smile and nod. "Now, if that was the final question as you said, I suggest we get back to our classes. If there's anything else you need answered, call me and we'll organise a time to meet again," Layla said, writing her phone number on a slip of paper and offering it to her.

"Sure thing," Wendy said, taking the slip of paper and trying not to let her surprise show.

"Oh, one more thing, Wendy. Don't ever sit next to me in Save the Citizen again," Layla said.

Wendy shivered at the green glow in her eyes and hurried to nod. She'd do whatever the hell Layla wanted, so long as she didn't have those eyes turned on her again.

...

"Remind me again why we're out here planting seeds in the middle of the night?" Warren asked, sitting back on his haunches to look over at Layla.

"Because we're both working and can't come out here after school," Layla replied, continuing to drop seeds into the small holes Warren had made. "We're almost done, don't worry."

"Hope so; we've been here for two hours already. The bus'll be back soon," Warren muttered.

"Well, stop your whinging and we'll get it done quicker," Layla said with a grin, pressing a kiss to his lips before moving on.

Warren sighed and moved further along the paddock to make more holes. Layla had said that the seeds they were planting would grow into a forest that would provide enough cover to hide the Hive from any passersby. Warren had to wonder what sort of things she thought they'd be doing that would need to be hidden from anyone going past - the actual Hive was underground, after all. He glanced over to where she was humming softly, planting seeds in the middle of the night and looking so damn _happy_, and Warren couldn't bring himself to question her again.

...

"I've invited Frieda over for dinner tomorrow night. She's expecting you to be here, so don't go staying with your boyfriend, as usual," Greta sneered.

Layla ignored the barb and gave a brief nod. "What time is dinner planned for? I'll have to let the Mayor know if I need time off. The election is only two weeks away, after all."

"Yes, I know. It's all you can seem to talk about," Greta muttered. "Dinner's for 7pm."

"I'll try to be back by then," Layla said, though she doubted that the Mayor would let her leave before 7 o'clock just to get home in time for dinner.

He'd been exhausted after the interviews with the five separate radio stations, but the polls were showing that his popularity was higher than ever. The Mayor had been further appeased by having three days off at his favourite pampering place (the booking was helpfully supplied by Nina), and came back looking as though he'd had an entire month off. After the popularity of his radio interviews, it seemed that every media outlet in town wanted to get time with the Mayor. While he had his three days off, Layla had been run off her feet organising various appointments, all the while trying to ensure that the Mayor wouldn't die of exhaustion in the midst of it all. Layla's own exhaustion was starting to take its toll too. Just last night, Nina had stayed back at work to help with the photocopying. The woman must have seen some sort of look in Layla's eye, because she'd ordered her to stop working and have a break, close to pushing her to the staff kitchen. Layla was reluctant to stop but took the break when she realised that she hadn't stopped since arriving at 4pm, and it was already 9pm.

"Well, if you're not here on time, I'll just have to tell Frieda that your job is more important to you than the only family you have left in the world. I'm even going out of my way to make a vegetarian meal," Greta said, looking smug.

"Wow, you really want Frieda to see me as a delinquent, don't you?"

"Just trying to make her see the _truth_. I know you're not as innocent as you act; I've seen what you can do first-hand."

"If you hadn't treated me like crap ever since I moved in here, I wouldn't have resorted to such extreme measures," Layla snapped, her eyes glancing to her mother's brooch that Greta was still wearing and flaunting in front of her.

"Oh, no, I think you would have. Eventually, you would have done it, no matter what I'd said or done. There's evil in you, girl, and I'm the only one who can see it," Greta hissed.

"Right," she drawled, unimpressed. "I'm going to bed now. Unless you think me going to bed is an act of evil?" Layla said, rolling her eyes and heading upstairs.

Greta made a screeching sound of indignation, but it soon turned into a cry of pain as phantom thorns dug into her skin. Layla smiled to herself and went to get ready for bed.

...

"Layla Williams?"

"Yes, this is Layla," she confirmed with a slight frown.

Layla didn't recognise the voice on the other end of the phone, and she hadn't recognised the number either. She belatedly wondered just how wise it had been to confirm that she was who the caller was looking for.

"The work you requested under AAA Contractors is now finished. Could you please inspect the property at your earliest convenience? If you have any issues with the work that has been done, please contact us via the number given to you on your initial quote. If you are pleased with the work, please contact us via the fax number on that same quote, and we will destroy any evidence that corresponds to your request." With that, the mysterious caller hung up.

Layla looked at her phone, blinking slightly at the abrupt conversation. She saw that there was a message on her phone from Frieda, informing her that dinner had been changed to 8:30pm instead and not to worry about leaving work early.

"Everything all right, Layla?" Nina asked.

"Yes, fine. Sorry, I thought it might have been an emergency with my Great Aunt. Turns out it was a wrong number," Layla replied, putting her phone back in her bag.

"Okay then. Do you have time to help with some photocopying, or has the Mayor got you up to your elbows in work?"

Looking between the small stack of paperwork that the Mayor had given her at the start of her shift to the large bundle Ms. Peace was holding, Layla decided that the photocopying was more important.

"Thank you, Layla. I'll help with your work if I can," Nina promised, halving the paperwork and giving her a bundle.

"It's all right, Ms. Peace; I'm happy to help," she replied, going to the second photocopier.

They were silent as the machines started photocopying, and Layla looked at the amount of paper that had been thrown in the rubbish bin, rather than the larger blue recycling bin. She muttered under her breath and sorted it out quickly, oblivious to Nina's surprised expression.

"Do you always do that?" Nina asked, nodding to the sorted bins.

"Most nights, if I have the time," Layla replied with a nod. "Maria says it helps her if I do it, and I'd rather spend a few minutes of my break sorting it than letting anything go to waste. I'm just glad that the Mayor agreed to scanning and emailing this instead of wasting paper photocopying it."

Nina nodded in response, wondering just who on earth Maria was.

They both slipped into silence as they continued scanning the documents. With both of them working on the pile, they finished in half an hour. Nina offered to forward all of the emails on to the people that had requested copies, and let Layla return to her desk. Ten minutes later, after thanking Layla for her work and help again, Nina left the office area and headed to the elevators. One opened and the cleaner came out, pushing a large cart with cleaning supplies. As she passed the woman, Nina noticed that her badge read _Maria_. She heard Maria call out a warm greeting to Layla and then the elevator doors closed.

_She'd seen this woman almost every week for the past six years, yet she hadn't known her name_, Nina realised guiltily.

"Hi, Maria. How are you?" Layla asked, smiling at her as she started to clean the Mayor's office window.

"Good, good. Almost finished for the night. You?" Maria asked, glancing back at her briefly.

"I've still got another hour to go. How's your son?"

"Not bad. Not always good," Maria admitted, taking a bin from under a desk and emptying it into the large bin attached to her cart. "He is still looking for work. There's jobs here, but he thinks cleaning is below him. My cleaning helped put him through college, pah!" she said, waving off her annoyance. "He is smart, but not so smart to know that money is money, a job is a job. So long as it is legal, it is good. Pah, he will have to get a good girl to keep him in line. You sure you're happy, Layla?"

Layla snorted in laughter. "I'm very happy, thank you Maria. Besides, I don't think I could keep your son in line."

"Ah well. I will have to keep looking for him," Maria said with a grin, shrugging.

Maria swept through the office, clearing the bins and doing a quick vacuum of the floor. When she had finished, she called out a cheerful goodbye to Layla, told her not to work too hard, and left for the night.

Layla continued her work, organising the Mayor's appointments and various appearances for the upcoming fortnight and writing his speeches. She'd gone over the scheduled appointment list with Nina and then Ethan to ensure that the Mayor wouldn't be attending anything that went against his policies and promises. The more important appointments were highlighted in red, and any that could be changed or skipped entirely were highlighted in orange. Layla had also organised a full day at his doctor's during the next week to ensure that the Mayor wasn't being overworked to the point where he'd collapse. She had also included a visit to the children's ward in that day, knowing that the Mayor might refuse to go if there wasn't a publicity stunt in it. An anonymous tip to various media stations about the time and location the day before his hospital visit would cover the publicity side of it.

When her alarm went off an hour later, Layla packed up her things, locked her desk, ensured that _The Monster_ was still locked away safely, and left the office area. Warren was waiting down in the lobby for her, Dave taking pity on him standing outside on such a cold night. Layla thanked Dave and left with Warren beside her.

"What's wrong, hippie?" Warren asked when they'd walked to the bus stop without a word from Layla.

"The Hive's ready. I want to go look at it now, but I promised Greta that I'd go straight home from work. She's invited Frieda over just to make sure that I follow through," she replied.

"Why don't you go there then, and I'll go to the Hive? I can record everything on my phone and send it to you," Warren offered.

Layla pouted slightly. _She wanted to go and see the Hive in person too, damn it_. Sighing, she realised that a compromise would have to be made, and this probably wouldn't be the last time she'd have to make one.

"All right then. Keep an eye out for anything that doesn't look right. The electricity should be switched on already, but make a torch if it's not working yet," Layla said with a smile. "I'll text you when I get home."

Warren nodded and he grinned suddenly, moving to kiss her soundly. The vine mark on his wrist flared in pain and he let in a shuddering breath as Layla licked his lips, the pain mixing with pleasure. His hands tightened on her hips, pulling her body closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Warren heard the bus coming and pulled away slowly, his lips pressing against Layla's a few times before he could make himself stop completely. He couldn't stop from grinning smugly when he saw how dazed Layla looked.

"Talk later, hippie," he murmured, helping her onto the bus, his smug grin firmly in place.

When the bus had pulled away, Warren crossed the road to wait for the bus that would take him to the outskirts of Maxville and the Hive.

...

Warren waited until the bus was out of sight before creating a small ball of fire and heading down to where the Hive was. As he came upon the block of land, Warren stopped short on seeing the trees that had already begun to grow. They were still small considering the size they were meant to be but the trees were as tall as he was. He put the fire out and pulled his phone out, using the torch function to see where he was going properly. Warren stepped into the small forest and made his way through the trees slowly. As he walked along, Warren could have sworn that the trees were actually growing with each passing second. He almost sighed in relief when he saw that the trees ended up ahead and hurried forward.

"Fuck me," Warren swore, his jaw dropping at the sight of an actual freaking house at the end of the tree line.

If it wasn't for the honeysuckle vine that was wrapped along the porch and the hive insignia by the front door, Warren might have thought that he'd gotten lost and ended up on some neighbouring property. He saw a piece of paper stuck to the front door and made his way up the small ramp to the porch and door.

_Invoice number 91010_

_The property has been finished according to the buyer's guidelines. The company thanks the buyer for providing the wood-based materials that were used to complete the building that was agreed on at the initial signing_.

Warren swore under his breath. He knew that Layla had been tired lately, but he'd put it down to her work at the Mayor's office. Now that he knew that she'd been growing trees for the contractors to use at the Hive, Warren had no doubt that her exhaustion was due to the overuse of her power. He continued reading, seeing that there was more writing on the note.

_The work that was completed in the cellar proved to be difficult due to the tunnel system found in the surrounding area. The resulting hole has been left open temporarily. If you require it to be filled, please call us on the number provided at the initial signing, and it will done free of charge._

_All documentation regarding this invoice will be destroyed in exactly one week. Thank you for choosing AAA Contractors_.

"What the hell?" Warren muttered to himself.

Shaking his head, he figured he'd see what they meant when he went inside. Going back down the ramp, Warren swiped through his phone to open the video camera and began recording. His hand was steady as he filmed the note that the contractors had left, and then he started up the ramp again. Warren found that the porch wrapped around the entire house, and felt almost _giddy_ (_thankfully no one was here to witness this display of emotion_) as he came to the front door again and opened it to step inside.

The foyer was actually a long hallway, and Warren was sure that he could see the outside world through the windowed door at the end room. Warren flipped the light switch and the foyer filled with light, spilling into the two rooms on either side. A lounge room opened to his left, and the open door on his right revealed an empty library, complete with a fireplace. Continuing down the hallway to the other doorways, Warren found what he presumed would be the meditation room and their costume room if the display-like wardrobe was any indication. The hallway ended abruptly and opened up into a large open-plan kitchen and dining room. The dining room already had a large rectangle table, and the kitchen had an oven installed, along with an island counter in the middle. Warren took a moment to look at the kitchen properly, grinning when he saw that it was an industrial one similar to the one at the _Paper Lantern_. His grin faded when he realised that he hadn't seen a door that led into the rooms beneath. He paused the recording, trying to remember where the hole in the ground had been when he and Layla had come before the house had been built.

Warren made his way back through the house, looking for a trapdoor, a lever or switch of some sorts to find the entrance. His frown deepened as he made his way through the house for a third time. Just when he was about to call Layla to ask if she knew where it was, Warren noticed a slight line on the floor in the library. Crouching down, he felt along the groove and found that it was actually a trapdoor. Looking around the library more carefully this time, Warren eventually found a similar piece of wood at the top of the doorway and pressed it. The trapdoor moved down slightly and slid across to reveal a set of wooden stairs. Relieved that he'd finally found it, Warren began recording again and headed down into the trapdoor.

"I'm not going to mention just how long it took me to find that damn trapdoor," he muttered.

A fireball helped him find where the light switch was, and the tunnel was soon filled with light. Warren looked down the tunnel and saw that he couldn't actually see the end of it. There were numerous doorways on both sides of the tunnel, and he grinned at the sight. Looking into the first door, he saw that it had another tunnel heading out of it.

"This is going to take a hell of a long time, so I might leave the whole thing until we're both here," Warren muttered to the camera.

He continued up the main part of the tunnel and looked into each room. Some were large rooms, others had more tunnels, and some seemed to connect to more rooms. As Warren continued walking, he realised that he could feel a slight breeze and frowned, trying to find the source. A few metres down, Warren found a room that had a large hole in the wall.

_Well, this was probably what the note meant_, he thought, stepping into the room to look at the hole properly.

Warren frowned on seeing the bricks and moss growing in the tunnel beyond the hole, holding his phone up to film it properly. He threw a fireball as hard as he could, watching as it lit up the tunnel, showing what looked to be an underground sewer. Thankfully there was no actual sewage flowing through it.

"We're going to need a few things to explore that properly," Warren said, heading back out to the main tunnel again.

He closed the door so the wind wouldn't bother him, and he'd know which room it was when he came in with Layla later. Checking his watch, Warren realised that he'd been in the Hive for longer than he thought, and the bus would be arriving at the bus stop in fifteen minutes. He stopped recording and sent the video to Layla, hurrying to leave through the trapdoor.

...

"I've called in sick. If your mother asks, it's a combination of exhaustion and the fact that I have an assignment due on Monday morning," Layla said.

"Right. Do you actually have an assignment due?" Warren asked, grinning at her.

"Yes, but I finished it last night," she replied, grinning back at him.

"Okay then. Ready for this, hippie?" he asked, looking down through the hole to the bricked sewer beyond.

"Ready," Layla said with a grin, turning on her torch and climbing through the hole, a rope wrapped around her waist.

Warren lowered her down carefully and then held onto the tree that Layla grew for him. He closed his eyes at it sank down towards the ground quickly, his heart racing. It slowed down suddenly, and then Warren was standing on the ground once more.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that sensation," he groaned.

Layla kissed him, grinning against his lips. "I'll take it slower next time, promise."

Warren pulled her back for another kiss, his hands hot against her hips. Layla pulled away slightly dazed and took a moment to get her bearings before turning around to survey the area. The area they were standing in seemed to be the mouth of a tunnel, but the tunnel itself was blocked up with fallen debris. The very top had a small opening, which is where the breeze was coming from. Layla briefly wondered if her decision to not call Ethan and Zach had been too rash. Ethan could have gotten through those rocks easily.

"I can try to blast through them with a fireball," Warren offered.

"No, we don't know what's behind there. If it's an actual sewer, then throwing a fireball into a methane-infused tunnel isn't going to be the best idea."

"True enough. Do you think one of your vines will fit through there?"

"Yes. But I'll need to get as close to that opening as I can," Layla said, heading over to the blocked tunnel and starting to climb.

Fifteen minutes later, she had reached the top. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Layla looked down to where Warren was waiting. He was trying not to look anxious, but she could feel his concern through her wrist's fire brand. She took a deep breath and turned to the small opening, beginning to create a vine. So far, she hadn't smelled anything other than dampness and dirt, but Layla wasn't entirely certain how much the debris blocked and didn't want to risk it anyway. The vine was fully formed now, and she closed her eyes, letting the vine snake its way though the opening and to the other side. The vine had a series of small feeler-like hairs on it that could form a rough picture of the things it came into contact with. Through her link with the vine, Layla could essentially see what it saw.

Warren forced himself to stand still as he watched Layla create the vine and send it through the opening. He wanted to do something to help, but again, he was left to the side while Layla did it all. Warren's fists clenched at that thought. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He would do what he had to do - even if that was stand to the side - until the time came when he could do what was needed. He was brought out of his musings when Layla called down to him.

"I'm coming down. You can blow it all away," she called, making her way down carefully.

"What's on the other side?" Warren asked when Layla was standing beside him again.

"I'm not sure, but it's definitely not a sewer. We'll find out together," she said, smiling at him and taking his hand.

Warren nodded and they moved back towards the Hive. He shielded Layla's body behind his as his arms lit up fiercely. She bit her lip as her wrist flared in pain, her body responding to the closeness of his with a pleasure that rivalled the pain. A coil of heat curled in her stomach as she watched his arms become engulfed in flames, the flames travelling down his biceps and forearms to turn into large fireballs in his palms. His hands often made the same trail down her body, and Layla knew how hot his hands could be even without the flames. A large crashing sound brought her out of her thoughts abruptly, and she peeked past Warren's body to see half of the debris falling away.

"Stay back, hippie. I need to take another shot," Warren murmured.

He'd felt a surge of desire coming from Layla in the seconds before he'd let the fireballs go, and was surprised that half of the debris had fallen to pieces. _He'd only expected a third, if that, to move, not an entire half of the debris-filled wall_! Before he could light up again, Warren turned around abruptly and kissed Layla, the surge of desire coming from both of them this time. He pulled away with flame-covered arms, the fire not harming her in the slightest. She grinned up at him, licking her swollen lips. Warren let out a shaky breath, the surge of desire turning to a wave that he was drowning in. He let more power into his arms and turned around, throwing both fireballs at the rest of the debris. It exploded into pieces, Warren turning to cover Layla.

He opened his eyes, breathing heavily, his arms on either side of her head as she stared up at him with lust-filled eyes. He couldn't stop himself from kissing her again, his hands sliding down to her hips. He undid Layla's pants quickly, wave upon wave of desire washing over them. Warren slid his hand between the fabric and her skin quickly, a finger sliding inside of her and resulting in a moan from both. He fucked her with his hand, sliding a second and third finger in as she rocked her hips against his hand wantonly, her body feeling hotter than his flames ever could.

"Come on, Layla. Cum for me," he whispered hoarsely, driving his fingers deeper into her as he moved to suck on her neck, nipping at her skin to mark her as his.

She screamed his name in response, her body clenching around his fingers tightly as his ears reverberated with her pleasure-fuelled scream.

"Oh... wow," Layla breathed, her chest heaving against his. "That was unexpected, but very, very welcome."

Warren smirked, sliding his fingers out of her slowly. His wrist was sending an ache of pain and pleasure through his body, and Warren could tell that Layla was experiencing the same emotions too. He cleaned his fingers on his shirt and zipped her jeans up again carefully, his lips pressing a kiss to the mark he'd left on her neck. Layla made a sort of whimpering noise in response, and Warren pulled away with a grin.

"Ready to go exploring, hippie?"

She nodded, despite the fact that her legs were still trembling from her orgasm, and made herself walk forward with Warren by her side. He slid a hand around her waist, trying not to be too smug when she shivered against him.

"The moment we get back upstairs, I'm going to kiss you until your toes curl," Layla said with a grin.

"Promises, promises," Warren said with a chuckle against her hair.

They made their way through the tunnel silently, looking around carefully to try and see where they actually were. Eventually, they came to the source of the breeze that had been blowing through the Hive. A ladder led up to a large circular manhole, and Layla made her way up the rungs quickly, Warren behind her.

"What's up there, hippie?" he asked when she opened the manhole carefully.

"I don't believe it," she muttered, her vine helping her to push the heavy disc out of the way completely.

Layla pulled herself up out of the manhole and waited as Warren came up to stand beside her. They walked out of the small side alley and Warren stopped short on seeing the building across the road.

"Hippie? Tell me you're seeing _Labyrinth_, too?" he asked, seeing the sign for the newspaper on the building's front window.

"Yeah, I am. I didn't think it was that close to the Hive," Layla muttered.

"It's not in the conventional sense, I guess. But the road does twist around a lot. That would take more time than walking in a straight line."

Layla gave a nod at his practical explanation, her face lighting up into a bright smile. "I'll bet that it's not the only ladder down there. Where else do you think we can go?" she asked with a laugh, heading back down the ladder.

Warren headed after her with a grin, replacing the manhole disc behind their descent.

...

"Are you planning on getting up at all today, you lazy brat?" Greta's words were accompanied with loud banging on the bedroom door.

Layla woke up groggily, her hair sticking up at all angles, and she glared at the door. Greta's voice cut off to a gasp of pain and Layla grinned when she heard her Great Aunt finally leave. Beside her, Warren wrapped his arm around her body and pulled Layla back down on to the bed, his lips capturing hers.

She had made good on her promise to kiss him until his toes curled, but they hadn't gone back to the Hive to make out. One of the last ladders in the tunnel ended up all the way in Westville, and she had recognised a street from her usual journey to Sky High in the morning. They'd made it back to her Great Aunt's by four in the morning, both keeping quiet as Layla snuck them in through her bedroom window. The moment they were both inside, Layla had launched herself at him and kissed Warren heatedly, tugging at his shirt as he held her hips against his. He'd ended up shirtless and in a pair of boxers, while Layla's bra had been thrown somewhere across the room along with her jeans, both of them falling onto her bed for a very intense make out session. (Warren's toes had curled twice.)

"So she's calling you a lazy brat now?" he asked with a slight frown as he pulled away from her lips reluctantly.

"If it wasn't for the vines, I'm sure it would've been worse than that," Layla muttered, rolling her eyes before moving to kiss him again.

Warren murmured something distractedly, his hand slipping under her shirt. Layla pulled away from their kiss to laugh against his bare shoulder as his fingers touched against a ticklish spot. Layla put her finger against his lips when she heard footsteps on the landing again.

"I just don't know what's wrong with her, Frieda! She's not coming out of her room, and it's almost 1pm!" Greta said, the concern in her voice laid on so thick that Layla felt suffocated by it. "What? I don't care if your daughter's there, this is... No, don't put her on! I don't want to talk to... Oh, hello Honey. Yes, it's lovely to talk to you too," Greta muttered, walking downstairs with a final glower at Layla's door.

Layla looked down at Warren and tried to stifle her laughter. He kissed her, muffling the peal of laughter that escaped her.

"Come on, let's get you out of here while Honey has her distracted," Layla said, patting his chest gently and slipping out of bed.

Warren stood and stretched, grinning when Layla stared at him for a long moment, and made himself walk past her to where his shirt was sitting on the desk chair. They were both dressed (and Layla's hair tamed with a number of bands and clips) in five minutes, and left the bedroom quietly, Warren waiting at each corner until Layla signalled for him to move.

"No, there's no clouds here. Yes, Honey, I am quite sure. Because I'm looking out the damn window!" Greta snapped.

Layla and Warren hurried past and left through the front door, Layla closing the door behind them silently. She waited until she could hear Greta walking away from the window before ushering Warren down the driveway and along the street. She broke out into laughter when they were at the top of the street, Warren chuckling along with her, a heart-melting grin on his face.

...

End of the twenty-ninth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on. oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Thirty

...

"All right, Warren, we're completely alone now. Will you tell me what's wrong?" Layla asked Warren at lunch.

He'd been silent and stoic all day - even to her - and had barely said more than five words, despite her efforts.

"Nothing. It doesn't concern you," Warren muttered, his eyes trained on his book.

His wrist flared up in pain a moment later, phantom thorns digging into his skin.

"_It doesn't concern me_?" Layla echoed, somewhere between hurt and pissed off. "You had better have a good explanation later, Warren," she said as the bell rang to signify the end of their lunch period.

She left without waiting for him - the first time in the five weeks since she'd joined the Hero track - and Warren didn't let himself look up until she'd gone inside and was no longer in sight.

...

Layla got off the bus in a foul mood. Warren had barely acknowledged her despite sitting next to her, and she knew his behaviour was going to eat at her until she was thinking about nothing else during her work. With the way he was acting, Layla wasn't even sure if he was going to come to pick her up after work or not. She sighed and tried to keep the scowl off her face as she headed into the building.

"Layla, oh thank goodness. You didn't break up with Warren, did you?" Nina asked, pulling her aside as she came into the office.

"No, why would I?" Layla asked, though she was thinking of his behaviour.

"His attitude this week is never good," Nina muttered. "Mind you, mine is hardly better some years."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Nina," Layla admitted with a slight frown.

"It's Barron's birthday this week. Friday, this year, in fact. Part of our divorce included visitation rights once a year until Warren's 18th birthday, and Barron chose the date as his own birthday. Warren will be going to Maxville Super Penitentiary all day on Friday. He's even got the weekend off to get over seeing his father again."

"Oh. Well that explains his behaviour then."

Nina nodded slightly. "Just cut him a bit of slack this week, okay? I'll talk to him."

"No, it's all right. I understand, and it's really all right. Thank you for letting me know, Nina, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Nina said with a smile.

"Are you all right this week?" Layla asked.

"Oh, I'll be fine. It's one day out of the year. Barron's just egotistical enough to make sure we never forget him by making this day his birthday. After this one, there'll only be one more visit and Warren will never have to deal with his father unless he wants to."

The Mayor looked out of his office with a frown. "There you are, Layla. I need your help to rehearse tomorrow's TV interview questions."

"Of course," Layla said with a nod.

She gave Nina a smile and headed into the Mayor's office to help him practice.

...

Warren waited outside of the Mayor's building impatiently, not willing to go inside today despite the cooler temperature. He glanced at his watch and saw that Layla would be leaving soon. When fifteen minutes passed and she still hadn't appeared, Warren frowned and headed to the entrance. Dave saw him and gave a wave, opening the door.

"I was wondering where you were, Warren. Layla's still upstairs, would you like me to give her a call?" Dave offered.

"It's all right, I'll just wait," Warren said, moving to sit on one of the foyer chairs.

Another fifteen minutes passed and Layla still hadn't arrived. Dave offered to ring her again, and this time Warren gave a reluctant nod. Dave had a quick conversation that didn't provide any insight to Warren listening in and hung up a moment later.

"Layla's coming down now. The Mayor kept her back to rehearse for his TV interview tomorrow, apparently. I doubt it's helped much, he's not known for his coherency on television. He always thinks there's something wrong with his hair," Dave said with a chuckle.

Warren gave a brief nod, and gave a small sigh of relief when the elevator doors opened. Layla seemed surprised to see him, but he simply stood and waited for her to join him. She said goodbye to Dave on the way out and he gave a nod to the security guard as he followed her.

"What are you doing, hippie? Your bus home stops on the other side," Warren said when she stopped on the wrong side of the road.

"When were you going to tell me about your father, Warren?" Layla asked, looking at him.

"I wasn't planning on it, actually," he muttered, bristling at the fact that his mother had told Layla without consulting him first.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because, if you haven't noticed, I don't like talking about my father. This constitutes as talking about him, and he's not worth the time or effort. In fact, I don't even like to talk **to** him when I'm forced to see him once a year."

"You still could have told me instead of acting like a bastard to me all day," Layla said.

"I was silent, I wasn't a bastard," he muttered.

"You were silent to **me** without a reason, that means you were a bastard," she replied, folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't have to give you a reason when I want to be silent, hippie," Warren said incredulously.

Layla made a sound of frustration, muttering under her breath as she stalked over to him. She pulled him down to her roughly, her fingers gripping his shirt as she kissed him fiercely. He responded in kind, his hands burning against her as he backed her up against the bus stop sign. She gasped on hitting the metal pole, and he took the opportunity to plunder her open mouth with his tongue, pouring all of his anger and frustration into their kiss. The bus rolled over the hill a few minutes later, and they both pulled away with swollen lips and messed hair. They boarded the bus before it left without them, and when they were seated Layla finally realised that Warren had burned hand-shaped holes in her shirt. Her skin was free of burns though and she shivered as the fire brand on her wrist spun wildly, taking on the pain of the fire from her.

"So where are we going, my place or the Hive?" Warren asked when they were both settled enough to think properly.

"The Hive. I'll tell my Great Aunt I'm at yours, you tell your mum you're with me and we're not working through things so we don't break up. She was worried about us earlier," Layla said.

"Really? It's not like Mum to meddle in my relationships. She must really want you to stay with me, even if I'm being a bastard," Warren said with a snort.

"Please, your mother loves me," Layla said, grinning at him.

"Yeah, I know. Come on, we're about to miss our stop," Warren said, pressing the button to signal the bus driver to stop.

They were off the bus a moment later, Warren going silent as they made their way towards the Hive.

"Oh, look!" Layla said, smiling at him and pulling him through the trees.

She stopped suddenly, Warren looked around expectantly but didn't see anything special.

"Well? What am I meant to be looking at?"

"The trees! They're almost fully grown," Layla said, looking up to try and see the top of the tree before her.

Warren followed her gaze, moving up behind her and kissing her neck. "Want to finish what we started, hippie? I reckon I could burn the rest of your clothes without a problem," he said, grinning against her skin.

"Take me with you."

"What? Where?" he asked, frowning as she turned in his embrace to face him.

"Friday, Maxville Super Penitentiary. Take me with you," Layla said.

He moved away abruptly, shaking his head. "No, not even an option, hippie."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want him to ruin you. He does that, even without his power; he'll say or do something and it will destroy you."

"How?" Layla asked, frowning in confusion.

"I don't know, it's just what he does! Every year, I have to sit there and listen to him talk, and every year, all I want to do is smash his face with my fist," Warren growled.

Layla drew him in for a soft kiss, her fingertips trailing down his sides as her lips moved against his. "Please, take me with you, Warren."

He shook his head again, but didn't move away from her this time. Warren kissed her, trying to make her forget all about visiting his father. Layla kissed him in return, but didn't forget.

...

Warren sat across from his father, listening to the clock ticking outside of the room and trying not to listen to anything Barron was saying, wishing that the hours could pass by in silence. Barron simply kept talking, aware of his son's wish and ignoring it completely. He had Warren for an entire day, and he didn't care if he didn't listen to him, so long as in the end something of his would be passed on besides his physical image.

The hours passed, Barron's throat becoming raw as he continued talking, and Warren's anger growing with every word he was forced to hear. The clock no longer seemed to be ticking, and he could hear his father's words clearly.

"To rule the world, you can't trust anybody. You can't let your emotions rule you, they will be your downfall."

"What do _you_ know about ruling the world? You're sitting in a prison cell for your next three lives!" Warren snapped.

Barron seemed surprised at his outburst, but his surprise faded quickly and he began to laugh. "I see you're finally able to speak. I was beginning to wonder if you were mute or just stupid, boy," he sneered. "Now, what's her name? Or his?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The person you're fucking. There's got to be a reason you've finally said something to me, and it's obviously not because of your mother," Barron sneered. "Now, who is it? And if you tell me that they're a civilian or male, then I will find some way to kill you," he growled.

Warren suddenly wished that he _was_ in love with a male civilian, just to make his father writhe, but he couldn't do that to Layla. Not that he would be telling Barron her name either way. He went silent, ignoring Barron's knowing laughter.

"Oh, well I guess you haven't fucked her yet. Just wait until you do, boy, you'll find out what you can **really** do with your powers then," Barron said with a final chuckle, reminiscing on his own experiences.

Warren wished that the power suppressors would suddenly stop working - just for a second - so he could could roast his father alive. He would watch coldly as Barron screamed and pleaded for mercy, and the Mayor would probably give him a fucking medal. The moment passed suddenly, and Warren could hear the clock ticking again. It chimed suddenly, letting him know that this torture was almost over. Only one hour left.

Barron waited until the fifth chime ended and then started talking once more.

...

The clock struck six and Layla stood up, waiting for Warren to leave Maxville Super Penitentiary. It didn't take long; before a full minute had passed he was already descending the steps and heading towards her. Layla didn't mind that he continued walking down the street without stopping for her, and hurried to catch up to him. She only took hold of his hand once they could no longer see the prison. Warren finally looked at her then, coming to a stop and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you for coming with me, hippie."

She nodded and pressed a brief kiss against his shoulder.

"I've got the weekend off work, let's go to the Hive," he murmured against her cheek. "I don't want to see anybody else for the next two days."

"Sounds good to me," Layla said, smiling up at him.

Warren let her lead him to the bus stop quietly, and within half an hour they were walking through the forest and into the Hive. Layla made a bed out of soft plants and petals, pulling him down beside her and holding him. Normally, Warren would have protested going to bed before seven, but he found that he was emotionally exhausted after his day, and soon fell asleep in her embrace. Layla pressed a kiss to his lips gently and closed her eyes, moving closer to his body as she fell asleep too. As her mind slipped into darkness, Layla promised herself that she would meet Barron Battle one day, whether Warren wanted her to or not.

...

Warren was quiet for the rest of the weekend. He wasn't completely silent as he had been during the week, but Layla still noticed that he was quieter than normal. She didn't push him to talk to her this time, but she did drag him through the Hive to the training arena. It consisted of a maze of obstacles with citizens, heroes, and villains. If the contractors had done what she'd specified, then the place should be fireproof as well.

He surprised her by picking hero to begin with and started through the obstacles, throwing balls of fire at the villains and rescuing any citizens. Layla was sure that he was picturing his father's face on the villain's targets. Warren completed the obstacles in twenty minutes, and then started again as a villain. This time he burnt heroes and citizens alive, stopped the heroes from injuring the villains, and Layla grinned when she saw his time of eighteen minutes.

He came back to the start and nodded for her to try, taking the stopwatch to time her. Layla chose hero first, taking twenty-nine minutes to finish the obstacle (saving the citizen had taken her longer than anticipated since the damn thing wouldn't shut up, and she had time added on for trying to stuff a vine down its mouth). She finished the villain course in eighteen minutes as well, laughing when she was able to kill that damn talking citizen with a well-aimed cactus. (It had longer spikes than a normal cactus, but Warren wouldn't be the one to point that out.)

Warren and Layla went through the next one together, working as a team to scout ahead for civilians that needed rescuing. There was some shouting and arguing when one did something wrong but they made it through with a time of thirty-two minutes. The villain obstacle only took twenty-nine minutes, and there was less shouting as they started to work out a system of hand signals.

They continued working through the obstacles both together and alone, challenging themselves each time to better their personal best. After a few hours, Layla noticed that their times were slipping due to exhaustion, and pulled Warren away before he trained himself to death. They went upstairs to make something to eat, Layla growing small plants for vegetables and herbs as Warren requested them, cooking it all together in the lone saucepan that they owned.

"We have to buy more cooking utensils if we're going to eat properly," Warren muttered as he sat down to eat with her. "But I'm not going plate shopping with you."

"I don't know if I'll be able to survive picking out patterns on my own," Layla said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't come back with any of that cheap varnished crap. Ceramic's all right, but clay's better."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Layla said, looking at him with confusion.

"Fine, I'll come. Might as well since you'll probably buy the wrong pots and pans."

"You realise that you just invited yourself along to something that you said you didn't want to do in the first place?"

"Yeah, well I also said that I wasn't going to rent a tux."

"You didn't rent it," she pointed out.

"Do you want me to come or not?" Warren growled.

Layla just laughed and kissed him. "Of course I do."

"Then be quiet," he muttered, kissing her again to make sure she would stay quiet.

Layla's phone rang and she pulled away to check who was ringing. She frowned on seeing the caller but still answered by the next ring. "Hey, Ethan, what's up?"

Warren put his fork down when she sat up straighter and her face blanched slightly.

"He did what? - No, don't worry, we'll be right there. - Stay there, and just try not to kill him yet."

"What's going on, hippie?"

"Ethan's in the process of _thanking_ Zach's dad. He walked in on them kissing and apparently is the world's biggest homophobic bastard. Ethan's got him down for the count, but it might not be for long."

Warren was already standing before she finished explaining and headed into the library to get down into the Hive. "Next bus won't get us there in time. I've got my own thanking to do," he muttered, opening the trap door and heading down.

Layla hurried after him, eager to see what they were going to do.

...

Zach grinned at Ethan across the table, his foot sliding against his leg. Ethan stumbled over his words as he read from the textbook, his cheeks burning as he hurried to adjust his glasses. All the while, Zach continued to stroke his leg with his foot and watch him as if he knew what he was thinking.

"Zach, stop. We've got to study," Ethan protested weakly.

"We've been studying for three hours, I think we deserve a break," Zach said with a grin.

He stood up and pulled his shirt down over his tented pants quickly, blushing himself. Ethan stared up at him, licking his lips, and Zach couldn't stop himself from leaning down to kiss him eagerly, his hands resting against Ethan's shoulders. Ethan kissed him back eagerly, his hands resting on Zach's hips gently.

The front door opened suddenly and Zach hurried to pull away. He turned around to see his father standing in the doorway, his face as angry as hell. He tried to think of some explanation, something to say to make that expression leave his father's face, but came up blank.

"Dad, this is Ethan, my boyfriend," Zach said, knowing that it was the wrong thing to say the moment the words left his mouth.

His father advanced on him, and if Ethan hadn't been there, Zach would have run for the hills already. He had a fist to his ribs before he even knew what happened, and he was too slow to react anyway. Zach let out a cry of pain and desperately wished that Ethan wasn't here to see this. Wishes don't come true, and Ethan made some sort of noise between shock and anger, standing up suddenly. His father was angry enough to turn on Ethan too and Zach tried to get between them, but then Ethan was lunging at his father, his body stretching as he melted them both down. Ethan reformed ten full seconds later, a clear puddle of water still left on the floor.

"What... Eth? What the... _Fuck_, what did you do?" Zach asked in a strangled gasp, staring at the water in shock.

"I'm calling Layla and Warren. Don't touch the water," Ethan added, taking his phone out to call them.

He hung up after a very brief explanation and looked back to see Zach still staring down at the liquid. Ethan moved over and touched Zach lightly, all too aware that he'd be hurting from the blows his father had landed.

"Let's get some ice for your ribs, okay? They'll be here soon."

Zach finally looked up from the pool of liquid on the floor. He gave a slight nod and let Ethan lead him to the kitchen without looking back.

...

Layla and Warren both stared down at the water, the slightest of frowns on their faces. Layla looked up first and tried to stop from grinning as she turned to Ethan.

"You really did this?"

"I wasn't going to let him beat Zach up," Ethan said, slightly defensive even though he knew that Layla wasn't reprimanding him.

He glanced over to where Zach was lying on the couch, an ice pack on his ribs (and some of those ground up flowers Layla had given him), and his eyes squeezed shut as if it was a dream he was trying to wake up from. Ethan went over to him and put a hand on Zach's shoulder, trying to give him a smile when he opened his eyes to look up at him.

"You okay?"

"I dunno. I mean, I'm glad you stopped him, but I know that when he reforms he's going to be so pissed. My dad's not the forget and forgive kind," Zach said with a hollow laugh.

"Who said I was planning on reforming him? He's not getting out of that on his own," Ethan pointed out.

Zach sighed heavily. "I appreciate it, Eth, you know I do, but he can't stay that way. He's made it very clear over the years that mum can't survive on her own with us kids - she'd have to be working four jobs and never sleep to earn the amount he gets. The tuition at Sky High is ... well, sky high," he said with a slight grimace at his pun, "and my both of my parents' wages barely cover each semester."

"He's got life insurance, doesn't he?" Layla asked.

"Yeah, but who the hell's going to believe he's dead when he's really a puddle of water? The insurance company would probably think he's just run off and won't pay up. He'd either really have to die or make it look like he's dead for them to believe it without question."

"That can be arranged," Warren said, his first words since arriving.

They all turned to look at him, Layla trying to communicate wordlessly with Warren if her expression was anything to go by.

"Bring the bastard back to human form and I'll beat him to a pulp, then I can set his car on fire while he's in it."

"He beats me up, you beat him up, and how does that make you any better than he is?" Zach asked scornfully.

"Because I don't beat up my kids! Besides, this isn't about me being better than him, it's about him not hurting you again," Warren growled.

"Hey, it's Zach's decision. It's his dad," Ethan said, standing between them and not looking at all afraid of the fact that Warren was ready to set everything ablaze.

Layla blinked in surprise as a whisper of vines turned into a scream and it felt as though the vines were trying to tear through the layers of her skin. _Ethan was more than ready to become a permanent marker_.

Zach looked at her oddly, his head turned at an odd angle on the couch. "What was that all about, Lay?"

"I'll tell you later... We need to make a decision here, and Ethan's right: it is ultimately your decision," she said.

Warren was pissed off to say the least, but he took a deep breath and held back from burning everything in sight. He'd go back to the Hive and take it out on the obstacle course until he was calm again.

Zach sighed heavily, sitting up properly and putting his head in his hands. "I just wish there was some way to control him. I don't think I'm ready for patricide just yet."

"There might be," Layla said softly, looking down at the puddle of liquid with an odd expression on her face.

"What're you talking about?" Zach asked, frowning at her.

"I might be able to control him," she said, looking up at Zach now. "My vines might be enough to control him."

"_Might be_? You're not risking yourself over a might be, hippie," Warren said with a glare.

"I have to try. Zach's right: we can't kill him yet. There'll be too many questions," Layla said, shaking her head.

"Fine, but I'm still thanking him," Warren snarled. "I don't care what any of you say, it seems like it's the very least I can do."

"Fine," Ethan said quickly.

"When you reform him, jump out of the way. I'm going to create a ring of fire so he can't escape," Warren said.

Ethan gave a brief nod and with a look of determination, he melted. Zach watched as the two puddles joined. It looked like there was a bit of a struggle, the liquid actually bubbling, but no one had any idea who was winning. A moment later, Ethan reformed, jumping out of the way as a burst of flames encircled the man he left on the floor.

"You little shits. Let me the fuck out of here!" the man yelled, standing up shakily despite his words.

The flames barely reached his torso, and it looked as though he might actually risk jumping through them to get out of the ring of fire. Warren stepped forward through the fire harmlessly, and the flames rose higher until they were completely gone from sight. It burned so hot that Ethan actually stepped back in worry. He took Zach's hand and they waited, the noise of the fire burning not enough to cover the pained sounds coming from his father.

The flames started to die and Layla moved closer, curious to see what had happened between the two men. Warren was standing over Zach's father, the man on the floor unconscious and singe marks littering his body. There were also a smattering of fist-shaped burns and bruises appearing on his body that Layla could see. He must have fought back, because Warren's eye was slightly red. Layla wasn't surprised to see that the punch actually wasn't swollen or bruised, since she'd seen Warren take a super-powered hit from Will last year with barely a scratch, other than what he'd received from going through the walls themselves.

Warren kissed her briefly and she sighed into his mouth as she felt how hot his hands were on her skin. She licked her lips on pulling away, grinning up at him. Her eyes turned green and vines slithered out of her skin and towards Zach's father, curving around Warren entirely.

"Take his shoes off for me?" Layla asked Warren.

He nodded, turned and threw two fireballs at the unconscious man, his shoes disappearing in a brief burst of flames. The fire died before his feet were damaged, leaving them slightly red from the intense heat nonetheless. The moment his feet were revealed, the vines pushed through his skin. He woke up with the pain of it, a scream wrenching from his throat and his back arching as lines of green made their way up his legs. A leaf wrapped around his mouth, muffling his screams.

Zach and Ethan just stared as the vine continued to feed into him, Layla's eyes glowing an eerie green and Warren watching calmly as if he expected nothing less.

A car pulled up into the driveway, Layla cursing under her breath.

"I haven't finished yet. I won't be able to get it done before they come in," she said, glancing to Zach and Ethan.

"I don't think we'll be able to distract them. Zach looks pretty out of it at the moment," Ethan admitted, waving a hand in front of Zach's face.

He was still staring at his father and not blinking.

"Take it out of him, hippie. Popsicle, melt him down. Quick," Warren said, stepping over the man and heading into the kitchen.

Layla did as he said, and Ethan leapt forward, melting Zach's father down in a second. He reformed as Warren returned with a sponge, a jar and a small bottle of food colouring.

"Get the liquid in here," Warren said, handing the sponge and jar to Ethan.

He nodded, setting to work and squeezing the last drops out as the key was turned in the door. Warren dropped in a few drops of food colouring and screwed the lid on the jar just as Heidi and her mother walked inside.

"Oh, hello. Zach, you didn't tell me your friends were coming over," Mrs. Brighton said. "Have you seen your father? His car's in the driveway."

"He's not here," Zach replied woodenly, staring at the small jar, the drops of red food colouring swirling through it.

"What's that?" Heidi asked, seeing the jar in Warren's hands.

"Take a look," he replied, handing it to her.

Heidi frowned slightly as she turned the jar around, the swirls of red becoming longer. She grinned and shook the jar, laughing in delight at the bubbles that formed.

"Are you all right, Zach? You've gone pale," his mother said, setting the shopping bags down to feel his forehead.

"I think I need to lie down," he murmured, wincing when Heidi giggled at the bubbles that were still floating through the water.

"I'll take you upstairs," Ethan offered quickly, leading Zach away before anyone could protest.

"Can I help you with the shopping, Mrs. Brighton?" Warren asked.

"Oh, yes. Thank you."

He grabbed the bags she'd set down and headed into the kitchen without another word.

"I'm going to go check on Zach," Layla said.

Heidi gave an absent-minded nod, still shaking the jar and watching the red-swirled bubbles go through the liquid.

"How is he?" Layla asked Ethan quietly as she came into the room.

"I think he's getting a bit hysterical. What are we going to do, Layla? We can't keep him in that jar forever," he said with a frown.

Zach made a sound of laughter mixed with a sob and Ethan sat next to him, stroking his hair.

"I don't know. I thought we'd have enough time to get him under control," she admitted.

Zach sat up, his breathing laboured. "We need to do three things: one, get the jar back from Heidi; two, get my dad back into his human form; three, get the hell out of town before he kills us all. There's nothing else to do."

"I think I might have something to say about that plan, glow stick," Warren said from the doorway, throwing the small jar to him.

Zach fumbled but managed to keep hold of it. "Fuck, Warren, what're you trying to do, piss him off even more?"

"I'm trying to see if he can get injured by being shaken up in liquid form. It's research being done on behalf of Popsicle," he said, smirking slightly.

Ethan was going to say that he couldn't get injured because he was technically a liquid, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Maybe he could get really dizzy.

"So what's your idea then?" Layla asked.

"Take him to the Hive and deal with him there, to start off with. When we get there, we might have a better idea of what to actually do."

"What's the Hive?" Ethan asked with a frown, looking between Layla and Warren expectantly.

"I suppose it's better than waiting here and making Mrs. Brighton suspicious. You two coming, or you want to claim plausible deniability?" Layla asked.

Ethan looked to Zach, not willing to make a decision without hearing his answer first.

"It's my dad, I'm coming with you," Zach said, his expression firmer than his voice.

"Then I'm coming too," Ethan said, taking hold of Zach's hand.

"Then let's get the hell out of here," Warren muttered, heading to leave.

The others were all surprised when he stopped short after opening the door, and Layla looked over his shoulder to see Heidi standing in the hallway, a fierce expression on her face. She was holding a baby monitor device in her hands, and Zach blanched on realising that his own device was in his room and still switched on. It was their way of talking to each other when their father was in one of his moods and had sent them to their rooms.

"I heard everything."

...

End of the thirtieth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Thirty One

...

"I heard everything. Let me see that," Heidi demanded of Warren, holding her hand out for the jar.

He glanced over his shoulder to Layla and Zach, and eventually they both nodded. He threw the small jar to her and she caught it easily with one hand. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the red-infused water.

"So, my dad is really in here?" Heidi asked, looking to them for confirmation.

Ethan nodded quickly. "It's my power; I melt," he said.

She made a noise of acknowledgement, but her attention returned to the jar quickly. Before anyone could say or do anything, Heidi shook the jar violently, a look of satisfaction on her face as she watched bubbles fill it quickly. She smirked and threw the jar back to Warren.

"I'll keep mum distracted. I don't care what you do, just don't come back with him."

"Heids," Zach said, wanting to tell her that he was their father, and their mother literally wouldn't be able to survive without him since she had no control over their money.

"Don't _Heids_ me, Zach. I don't care if he's our father, or what he means to mum, or even what you think you owe him as his son. He's an abusive asshole, and I never want to see him again," Heidi said fiercely.

The lights in the hallway flickered, even though the power was switched off.

"Promise me. Promise you won't come back with him," she pleaded.

"I promise," he said hollowly, his shoulders sagging in defeat.

"Thank you. Now go before mum comes up here looking for you. I'll tell her that you've gone to sleep, so don't let her see you on the way out, and don't come in through the front door on the way back," Heidi muttered.

"You've thought about this too much, Heids," Zach muttered, albeit a little fondly.

"I've been planning my escape since my fifth birthday party," she said with a shrug.

Zach's eyes widened slightly, but he remembered what had happened at her fifth birthday party and simply nodded in understanding.

Without another word they all headed downstairs. Heidi went to distract her mother in the kitchen while the others left the house. Warren pocketed the jar and led them to the bus stop. He and Layla knew the Hive's bus route off by heart and he knew that the next one wasn't too far off.

"Do I dare ask what happened at Heidi's fifth birthday party?" Layla asked.

"Maybe some other time, just not today," Zach murmured.

Ethan was still holding his hand gave it a little squeeze, smiling briefly. "Everything will be all right soon, Zach."

"I hope so," Zach murmured.

He went quiet, trying to remember how much money he had saved up over the years. Heidi wasn't the only one who had planned on escaping. Zach knew he couldn't stay in his father's house if this didn't work out.

...

The trip to the Hive felt shorter than it probably took, but Layla was surprisingly calm about taking Zach and Ethan there. Despite Zach's reservations about patricide, she knew that both were ready to become permanent markers, and Layla was having a hard time keeping the smile off her face. Warren could sense her excitement and rolled his eyes at her a few times, but she still couldn't bring herself to calm down.

"How'd Heidi hear everything anyway, Zach? I thought she was downstairs with your mum?" Ethan said with a slight frown.

"Obviously not. Heidi's completely deaf in only one ear; the other one can't hear a lot, but she can hear really loud noises without her hearing aid, not that she lets our parents know that. She was wearing her hearing aid when she caught us. Besides, we weren't exactly quiet, and the baby monitors that Heidi and I have are ones that amplify sound. I'm not surprised that she heard everything," Zach replied, shrugging.

"Do you know how you're going to keep your promise to her?" Warren asked.

"No; I don't know if I can," he added quietly, hanging his head.

Silence reigned for the rest of the trip, not breaking even as the four of them walked from the bus stop to the Hive's forest entrance.

"What is this place?" Ethan asked, frowning at the fact that a forest was essentially in the middle of nowhere.

"The forest that leads to the Hive. Try not to touch the trees; they're not used to anyone other than me and Warren," Layla said.

As if to prove her point, a tree close to Zach seemed to reach its branches down to swipe at his head curiously. Zach jumped back, eyes wide as he tried to hide behind Ethan.

"What the hell, Layla?!"

"They're not going to start talking and walking, don't worry. They just have a higher level of awareness than most living creatures; humans included," she added in a low mutter. "You're our friends and don't pose a threat to us, so you'll be fine."

"What if we were a threat?" Ethan asked curiously,

"Then you wouldn't be fine," Layla replied simply. "Coming?" she asked, heading down the path.

Warren smirked at the two boys and followed her without hesitation, throwing the jar between his hands easily.

"You still okay with this, Zach?" Ethan asked softly.

He gave a nod, though he kept very firmly in the middle of the path and as far out of the trees' reach as possible.

"So, this is it? A house hidden behind a forest?" Ethan asked, not entirely impressed.

"That you can see, yes. But what's under the house is much more interesting," Layla said lightly, not at all offended by his assumption since it was the exact reaction that she wanted from others who might see the Hive too.

"What's under the house?" Zach asked warily, glancing back to the trees behind him.

"You'll see. Come in, we'll give you a tour of the house first," Layla said, nodding for Warren to open the door.

They were all inside a few moments later, Zach and Ethan both surprised about how warm and inviting the interior of the house was. Green and red were prominent in all of the rooms, but somehow, it didn't come across as a gaudy Christmas advertisement.

"Oh, that's what it reminds me of," Zach announced as they were going in the kitchen. "Hansel and Gretel. You've got the nice house that draws people in, and then you butter them up all sweetly, but behind it all you're really evil."

"I think I should be insulted that I'm being compared to an ugly old witch," Warren muttered. "But you're not far off," he added with a grin.

"Well, I don't know about you, but that comparison just made me hungry," Layla said, frowning as if she couldn't quite believe her own train of thoughts.

Zach moved as far away from the oven as possible. Warren chuckled and lead the way down to the library where the trapdoor was. This time, Ethan and Zach didn't hesitate before following Layla and Warren downstairs. They were both quiet as they headed down the main tunnel, looking in each branching tunnel curiously.

"Do you have any sort of map? It'll take years to memorise every tunnel in here. I should be able to make something basic in a few weeks," Ethan said, his eyes bright at the prospect of creating a map, and labelling the rooms and tunnels to the last detail.

"Calm down there, Popsicle. You can be the cartographer once we've dealt with this bastard," Warren said, shaking the jar for emphasis.

Ethan agreed with a firm nod, and they all followed Layla through the tunnels to a room that only had one exit.

"Zach, this is your final chance to back out. We can stop right now, and return your father to his normal form; you and Heidi could stay here as long as you need. I can use a vine to wipe his memory. I think I can, at least," Layla added.

"I've come this far, I'm not backing out now," he said.

She waited a moment longer, in case Zach changed his mind, and finally gave a brief nod before turning to Warren. "Give the jar to Ethan, please."

He handed it to Ethan with a brief nod, his arms lighting up to create a ring of fire on the floor. Warren left an opening so Ethan could walk through without the flames hurting him. The water in the jar bubbled fiercely, and Ethan took a deep breath before walking through the opening, the flames closing behind him. The empty jar rolled out of the flames a moment later, and there was a dripping sound as Ethan melted down. For a few minutes, there was nothing but silence, broken only by the crackle of flames.

Mr. Brighton fought back, even as Ethan tried to reform, and by the time they were both in human form once more, Ethan's head and eyes were spinning, his stomach churning. He fell to his knees, not quick enough to escape the flames as they'd planned.

"You fucking little _faggot_," Mr. Brighton snarled, emphasising his words with a swift kick to Ethan's ribs.

He groaned in pain, his eyes watering behind his glasses, and another kick was delivered to his stomach this time. Ethan cursed under his breath, trying to gather enough of his senses to think, to _melt_, but Mr. Brighton kept laying his boot into his body, and all of his thought processes went to protecting his head and trying to curl up to lessen the pain. Ethan wasn't entirely sure that it worked.

They heard the swearing and the heavy thuds of Mr. Brighton's boot connecting with Ethan's body. Warren made the flames stronger, not willing to lessen them in case the older man escaped, but the intense heat only seemed to make him angrier. Layla knew that none of her plants would survive the ring of fire considering how hot they were, and she looked to Warren, about to tell him to stop the flames when Zach ran past and jumped through the flames.

"Hey! Leave him the fuck alone!" Zach called, only for his father to whirl around to lash out at him.

Zach didn't let him get close enough to land a blow, a series of flashes emitting from his body. He watched coldly as his father dropped to the ground, his entire body seizing up and shaking, his eyes rolling back into his head. Zach barely resisted the urge to kick his father and stepped over him to help Ethan up gently.

"You all right, Eth?"

He pushed his glasses up his nose slightly and gave a brief nod, even though they both knew he was lying.

"Hey, turn the flames off. It's hot in here," Zach called.

The flames died instantly, Warren and Layla looking between them and Mr. Brighton curiously.

"What did you do?" Layla asked, she and Warren stepping over the circle of ash to inspect Mr. Brighton more closely.

"I don't really know. I just got so angry, I powered up without even thinking about it. Can you do what you need to do while he's like that?" Zach asked.

"I can try," Layla murmured, her eyes turning green.

Two vines slithered out from the palms of her hands and pushed their way directly into Mr. Brighton's feet. He didn't make a noise, still seizing from Zach's blast of power, and they all watched silently as the vines continued to trace green lines beneath his skin.

...

Heidi was watching a movie, half of her concentration on the words and actors on the screen, and the other half listening out intently for the front or back door to open. She'd been on edge ever since her brother and his friends had left, only allowing herself to relax after her mother had left for work almost an hour ago.

The front door opened and slammed loudly, Heidi's heart skipping a beat at the sudden noise. She looked out of the lounge room cautiously, a wave of relief washing over her at the sight of Zach and his friends. Then her expression and heart dropped, seeing her father standing with them.

"You brought him back?!" she yelled, the entrance light flickering violently for a second before shattering completely.

Ethan immediately melted himself and Zach down, and a leaf taller than Warren and thicker than a piece of wood covered him and Layla. Mr. Brighton didn't move, even when the shards of hot glass hit his skin, and Heidi frowned at him.

"Well, that was a pleasant welcome," Layla murmured, her leaf disappearing when Heidi didn't try to attack them again.

"Hey, Popsicle, get back up here already," Warren said, toeing the puddle of water.

Ethan and Zach were in their human form in a second, and the four of them stepped over the pieces of glass carefully. Zach immediately went to the laundry to get a dustpan and brush, handing both to Heidi.

"You know the rules, Heids: you make a mess, you clean it up. I'll replace the bulb," he said.

"What did you do to him?" she asked, the pan and brush held in her hands limply.

Zach grinned slightly and signed his answer to her. '_He's being controlled by vines. I know it sounds weird, but it's the truth. Trust me on this: never piss Layla off._'

Heidi laughed and nodded briefly. She went over to their father, frowning slightly as she looked up at him. Making a decision, Heidi banged the dustpan and brush together loudly, knowing how much it annoyed him, but there was no response. His eyes glowed green for a moment, and she knew that he was still in there, but he couldn't get out. Zach had kept his promise: he hadn't come home with their father, even if it was still his body.

"Good," she murmured to herself.

With that done, Heidi set about cleaning up the mess of glass on the floor while Zach went to get a light bulb. When they were finished, Heidi followed the group to the kitchen.

"How long will it last?" she asked.

"He should stay this way as long as I'm alive. It's growing inside him now, so it might last even longer," Layla replied.

"Plan on dying soon?" Heidi asked.

"Not if I can help it," Layla said with a grin.

'_I want to help you with whatever you plan on doing_,' she signed to Zach.

He shook his head. '_No way, too dangerous_.'

'_Bullshit_.'

'_Where did you learn that sign_?!' he asked in surprise.

'_How did you know it_?' Heidi returned, smirking.

Zach didn't reply, his cheeks reddening. Heidi just laughed at her brother, resolving to ask Layla about helping them when Zach couldn't be there to refuse.

Later that night, Zach woke up with the sudden feeling that something was wrong. He was used to being woken by loud screams, by arguments, or his mother crying, but there was no noise. Creeping out of his room quietly, Zach headed over to the stairs and peeked down in the lounge room where his parents were sitting. His mother looked exhausted, her head dropping forward onto her chest slowly, but his father had his eyes wide open, staring at the TV without seeming to process it. When Mrs. Brighton had fallen asleep completely, he stood off the lounge and carried her upstairs. He passed Zach without a look or word of reprimand, going straight to their bedroom. Zach watched after them, making sure that his father wouldn't do anything to hurt her while she was so vulnerable. When he was satisfied that she would be all right, Zach went back to his bedroom and fell asleep, worry-free for the first time in years.

...

The week of the election arrived and along with it came all of the tension and nerves borne of a political polling week. The Mayor promised everything, smiled at everyone, shook hands and kissed babies, and with the Commander and Jetstream on either side of him, his popularity among the voters never wavered.

Layla spent nearly every waking moment that week thinking of more ways to publicise her boss, from social media campaigns, posters in local businesses, to even asking Ron Wilson (bus driver) to use the Sky High bus to write the Mayor's name in the sky. He was initially excited, but after consulting with Principal Powers, he had to refuse Layla's request - the buses were very expensive pieces of technological equipment, not a skywriter's plane, and even so, the school would not be coerced into advertising for either side of the political campaign. (However, Principal Powers would use the same technique to boost school enrolments later that year.)

"Hippie, if you don't eat your lunch, I'm going to _make_ you eat it. Did you even eat breakfast this morning?" Warren asked.

"I went to bed later than usual and ran out of time," Layla admitted.

Warren glared and put her plate of salad directly on top of her draft of the Mayor's speech for that evening's television broadcast. She made a sound of protest, but he ignored her and offered her a fork instead. With a sigh, Layla ate her salad under Warren's watchful eye, taking a long drink of water before returning to the Mayor's speech.

"The bell rang, hippie," Warren said, flicking a screwed up napkin at her.

"What?" Layla muttered in surprise, looking up to see that they were two of the last six in the cafeteria.

"You're very determined when you focus on something, hippie. That could be a bad thing if you don't pay enough attention to your surroundings," he murmured as they left together.

"I know. But you were with me then," she said, smiling up at him. "I'll pay more attention next time," Layla added, pressing a kiss to his lips before heading off for her next class.

...

"Congratulations, Layla. The Mayor's going to be very pleased with this afternoon's election results."

It took Layla a moment to place the voice, but the words were damning enough, and she immediately knew that it was Honey Olgestein - Hourglass - on the other end of the phone.

"Really? So it's definite?"

"Ninety-five percent positive that he will win. Five percent if he wears the purple tie," Honey said.

Layla looked into the Mayor's office, wincing when she saw that he was wearing a tie covered in purple swirls. "I'll be right back."

"Of course," Honey said patiently as she was put on hold.

Layla headed straight to the staff kitchen, pouring a mug of coffee before heading back towards the Mayor's office.

"Mr. Mayor? I brought you a coffee," Layla said, offering the mug to him carefully.

"Thank you, Layla. What do you think of this tie? My wife bought it as an anniversary present."

"It's a lovely tie, Mr. Mayor," she said hesitatingly. "But... Never mind."

"But what?"

"I'm just not sure that purple's the best colour for you. It doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, does it?"

"Purple's a colour of royalty!"

"And we're not a monarchy, sir, nor do you want to be seen as someone higher than the average voter. That's the image we've been promoting these last few months: you're just as honest as the next man."

"Damn, you're right. A coffee stain should be enough to placate my wife," he muttered, going to tip a careful amount on the tie.

"We just had the carpet cleaned from the last coffee spill, Mr. Mayor," Layla prompted him. "The kitchen has a tiled area," she added.

He tapped his nose knowingly. "See, that's why I have you around. My red tie's in the top drawer, get it out for me, would you?" he asked, heading off to the kitchen.

Layla opened the drawer with the key carefully, taking out the red tie that was curled up beside his stapler. A key glinted in the office's lights, and Layla frowned slightly on realising that it wasn't one of the usual keys the Mayor carried around. The tag read Beast, and she almost dismissed it as a key for one of his many cars. _But why would he keep it in his desk drawer at work?_ Layla thought to herself. _The Monster was the main office filing cabinet, maybe he'd named the one in his office _Beast_?_

Making a split decision, Layla slipped the key into her pocket. Her entire body seemed to be trembling in excitement, as she shut the drawer, and she hid the trembling of her hands by shaking out the tie properly. The Mayor returned less than a second later, and she smiled at him, offering the tie.

"The media are waiting for you downstairs, would you like me to bring them up here?" Nina asked, popping her head into the office.

"No, I'll go meet them. It's what any honest man would do," he murmured with a slight smirk, putting his tie on with ease and following Nina out.

Layla locked the top drawer and went back to her desk, the key to the Beast burning a hole in her pocket. She took Honey off hold, but discovered that the woman had disconnected the call, the reason for her call now complete.

...

"Congratulations on getting the Mayor re-elected, hippie. Now, tell me the truth, how many of his promises will actually be kept?" Warren asked, grinning at her.

"Out of ten? Maybe four, if there's a few tax increases. Of course, two of those promises are ones relating to politician's wages and salary bonuses," Layla said sarcastically.

"You're already so jaded, and you've only been working for two months," Warren said with a snort.

"Funny, Warren," she said, nudging him with her elbow.

"I'm giving up my life of crime to become a stand-up comedian," he deadpanned.

Layla rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head.

"So, where to? Your Great Aunt's to celebrate? Or the Hive to really celebrate?" Warren asked, a grin forming on his face.

"Frieda's organised a party for me. We'll have to leave our celebration until next weekend," she said, though a little reluctantly. "Actually, I'm surprised you didn't know about the party already. Didn't Frieda invite you too?"

"She did, but I was hoping to avoid it. I know she's going to call me cutie again," he groused.

"Oh, you'll live. Come on, come celebrate with me; I'll make it worth your while," Layla promised, grinning up at him.

"How're you going to do that, hippie? I want details," Warren said, pulling her close to kiss her fiercely.

"Well, I was going to start with that," she said breathlessly.

"Good. We'll discuss the rest of how you're going to make up for me being called cutie on the way there," he said, flagging down the approaching bus.

Layla, still a little dazed from his intense kiss, simply nodded and followed Warren onto the bus without a word.

...

"Congratulations, Layla!" Frieda said happily, hugging her tightly within seconds of Layla walking in the door.

"Oh, stop acting so dramatic, Frieda. You're acting like she single-handedly got the Mayor re-elected," Greta said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, ignore your Great Aunt, Layla; she's just upset that Honey thought of this party before she did."

"No, I'm upset that Honey thought of the party and insisted that it be held _here_. Tonight is my poker night," Greta muttered.

"You've never gone to poker night while I've been here. I haven't disrupted your social outings, have I?" Layla asked anxiously.

Behind her, Warren covered his laugh with a cough, drawing Frieda's attention.

"Hello, cutie! Have you gotten taller since I last saw you?" she asked, smiling up at him brightly. "Come inside, that cough didn't sound healthy at all."

Warren stepped further inside, shooting Layla a 'this had better be worth it' glare as Frieda shut the door behind him. Frieda took his arm, patting his hand gently.

"Now, let's go see where my daughter and her _personal assistant's_ gotten to," she murmured, leading him away.

"I voted for the opposition," Greta muttered under her breath, going after Frieda and Warren.

Layla smirked to herself before heading upstairs to put her bag away. She jumped in fright on seeing Honey in her room, holding her hand to her hammering heart to try and calm herself.

"What on earth are you doing in here?" she hissed, closing the door quickly.

"I need the key. Quickly, we don't have much time; Sarah will only be able to distract them for so long," Honey replied, holding her hand out.

Deciding that she didn't have time to feign innocence, Layla took the key for the Beast out of her bag and handed it to her. Honey took a small silver container from her pocket, pressed the key into the rubber-like dough inside and closed the lid, holding it tight so the key would create a firm impression.

"I'll get the copy made and tell you when you can come pick it up. I apologise in advance for interrupting you and Warren later tonight, but you'll need to return the key to the Mayor's desk tonight. He will be in his office tomorrow morning - an unexpected argument with his wife over the tie - and he'll definitely notice the key's absence. I'll text you when it's safe to leave without disturbing Greta."

"What about security? Besides, I can't get inside the building without swiping with my access card. That information's recorded, and someone's bound to get suspicious about me being there in the middle of the night."

Honey passed the key back to her, frowning as she tried to think of a solution, processing hundreds of possible futures in a matter of seconds. One came to her suddenly, and she let out a shaky breath. "Dave will let you in; tell him you've left your access card on your desk upstairs and you couldn't sleep knowing it was there. He's very particular about security and you'll get scolded, but your presence won't be logged, and Dave will probably forget you were even there in a few days, even if he makes a few comments about your access card later on."

"All right, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now you get changed while I go to the kitchen and get drinks. Lemonade?" Honey offered.

"Yes, please."

She nodded and left Layla's bedroom quietly, closing the door behind her. Layla pulled her shirt off and changed into a clean top, kicking off her shoes but deciding to forgo changing her skirt. Taking her hair out of her usual plaits, she tied it back into a ponytail and put a bandanna on. Layla waited a few moments longer, wanting to make sure that she had spent enough time 'getting changed' to give Honey time to get the drinks, then headed down to the lounge room to save Warren from Frieda's pet-names.

"Honey had an ulterior motive in organising this party, you know, Layla," Frieda mentioned with a smile.

"Did she?"

"She just wanted an excuse to meet you in person. Honey says I've talked you up and no one could be that nice, but I only spoke the truth," she added, grinning.

Greta scoffed, but Frieda didn't seem to hear.

"Honey told me that she saw you at the meeting you organised with the reporters, but she didn't get a chance to introduce herself," Frieda said.

"All right, I have drinks," Honey called, coming into the lounge room with a tray of various drinks.

Sarah followed with a bowl in each hand, one full of chips and the other of biscuits. She was introduced to Layla and Warren, Honey's introduction following.

"It's nice to finally meet you, properly Layla," Honey said, stepping forward and hugging her.

"Since when do you hug people, Honey?" Greta muttered, taking the chocolate biscuit that Sarah offered her.

"Oh, Layla and I are going to be great friends," she replied with a sweet smile.

"That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it? You just met the girl, and she's twenty years younger than you!"

"Fourteen, actually. Besides, age has nothing to do with friendship," Honey said, a little sterner now.

"Of course it doesn't. Just like love; and there's no gender restrictions either," Frieda said with a nod.

"Mum, Sarah is my personal assistant, she is **not** my girlfriend. Sarah has a lovely boyfriend; you've met him before," Honey said with a sigh.

_It was obviously an ongoing argument, if the look on Honey's face was anything to go by_, Layla mused. Sarah, she noted, simply looked amused at Frieda's words.

"Yes, yes, that Jared boy, I know. But you haven't been on a date in years, Honey, and I worry that you're going to end up all alone," Frieda said, patting her daughter's hand gently.

"I've told you before, Mum: I'm waiting for the right guy."

"You've been waiting an awfully long time, Honey. Are you sure you're not being picky?"

"Mum, please! If I promise that I'll go on a date by the end of the year, will you stop bringing this up?" Honey asked with a groan.

"Oh, don't be like that, we're among friends. They'll find out that you're 30 years old and alone eventually, why not now?"

"Layla, would you like to show me the garden outside before I have to throw myself out of a window in utter embarrassment?" Honey asked abruptly, turning to her and pleading.

"Uh, sure," she said, trying not to grin.

"Sarah, Warren, why don't you come with us?" Honey offered, seeing the grip her mother had on the poor teenager's arm.

"Yes, thank you," he said in relief. "My apologies, Ms. Bettendorf," Warren added smoothly, taking his arm out of her grasp and barely refraining from running to the back door.

"I've got to schedule your interview with Zona for tomorrow, you don't mind if I'm on the phone while being out there, do you?" Sarah asked Honey.

"Not at all, come on," she muttered.

Layla led them through the house and to the backyard outside. There was a small garden at the end of the yard. It was sadly neglected, and Layla felt a stab of guilt at the sight of the withered plants. She hadn't been out here since arriving to her Great Aunt's house, and the plants had shrivelled without someone taking care of them.

"This will just take a minute," she murmured to Honey.

"Not a problem, take as much time as you need," she said, then frowned. "Sorry, you'll actually have exactly two and a half minutes before my mum and Greta join us."

Layla nodded and turned to the small garden. She kicked off her shoes, digging her toes into the warm grass beneath her feet, and closed her eyes. A few seconds passed as she recognised each plant through feel alone. Feeling the seven different kind of plants in the small garden, she immediately knew what each plant needed to bring it back to life. Layla opened her eyes held her hands out and let a pulse of her power loose. Before their eyes, the plants strengthened, flowers budding and unfurling. Even the grass underfoot looked healthier.

"The flowers won't grow, I think someone's salted the earth," Greta muttered as she stepped out with Frieda in front of her.

"Why, they're _beautiful_. I don't know what you're talking about, Greta; look how lovely these hydrangeas are!"

Sarah coughed into her hand, covering her laugh at Greta's look of surprise. She busied herself with her phone when Greta glared over at her, but a smile still tugged at her lips.

"Sarah really has a boyfriend named Jared and works at Labyrinth? Isn't that awfully cliché?" Layla asked Honey, pretending as though they'd been talking all of this time.

"That's not the best part, though; they've got a dog named Toby," Honey said.

"_You're_ the one that named him!" Sarah called, her hand covering the phone briefly.

"Oh, I _know_, but how could I resist?" she said, laughing. "Of course, poor Sarah had no idea I was being mean; I bought Toby for her a year before Jared came along. Toby's the reason she met Jared, so I think Sarah's forgiven me now."

"Dog park?" Warren asked, grinning.

"Uh, no, actually. Toby impregnated Jared's poodle. They lived about two blocks away from each other, and their dogs decided that two blocks wasn't enough to stop them from having the most adorable little puppies in the world. I got one from the litter, he's called Ari," Honey said with a warm smile.

"Don't tell me you orchestrated the whole thing just so you could get a dog?" Warren asked incredulously.

Honey just grinned and didn't answer.

"What did you do?" Greta hissed at Layla, pulling her away, but careful not to apply too much pressure and hurt herself with the phantom thorns in the process.

"What do you mean?" she asked, blinking innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean; those plants were dead this morning!"

"Oh, that... I made them healthy again. Don't you like the flowers, Greta?" Layla asked.

Greta muttered under her breath and let go of Layla, going back into the house without another word. Frieda was busy looking at the plants and didn't notice her friend's departure.

"Do you think Greta would mind if I take a few clippings, Layla? These are some of the loveliest hydrangeas I've seen this season," Frieda said.

"I don't think she'd mind at all," she replied with a bright smile. "I'll go get the scissors and a bag for you."

"Honey? I've got Zona on the line, would you like your interview for tomorrow morning or afternoon? She refuses to make a decision," Sarah added in a mutter, her hand covering the phone.

"In that case, afternoon. I'd much prefer to see Zona when she's somewhat sober and not still half-asleep," Honey muttered.

"I'll organise to have her favourite coffee available, just in case the extra hours of sleep aren't enough," Sarah said, returning to the phone call once more.

Honey thanked Sarah, drawing her into the conversation she was having with Warren about the Mayor's re-election. They went back towards the house to get to the shade, leaving Frieda with Layla once she returned with the scissors and bag. Frieda smiled and watched as Layla carefully trimmed one of the hydrangeas so that she could take the clipping home.

"It will last until you get it home and put it in some water," she assured Frieda.

"Oh, that's good news. Now, why don't you try and make this rosebush grow a little taller? There's a lovely bud near the bottom branches that I think will turn out just perfectly," she said, leaning in close to look at the rosebush.

"You... You know about my power?" Layla asked, her jaw dropping slightly.

Over by the house, Warren went still and silent, watching them intently as he tried to determine what was making his vine tattoo spin wildly out of control. Honey shook her head, told him that everything was fine, and drew him back into the conversation once more.

"Of course; Greta's been ranting about it ever since you came to live with her. She kept saying something about trees ripping up her floorboards or something ridiculous like that. I didn't believe her at first, but then I met you, and... well, who else would have that many plants in their house? Of course, it wasn't hard for me to find out the truth, considering my daughter's talent. I remember her talking about a plant grower and fire boy when she was just a child. It was after one of those times she was bullied at school, and I told her to look to the future, to find something that would make up for everything she went through, something that she could always look forward to. I remember because when I told her that, and she told me about you two, she didn't stop smiling for a full week," Frieda said, sighing. "It was so rare to see my lovely daughter smiling back then, and I feel like I can trust you, just for that alone. Now, how about this rose then, dear?"

Layla did as she asked, too stunned to think of a reason not to make the rose bush grow more. "Do you have a power?" she finally asked after Frieda had clipped the rose off the branch carefully. (She was right, it was perfect.)

"No, I'm just very lucky. It's not a power, it's just good luck," Frieda said firmly.

Layla frowned. In the super world, _good luck_ didn't account for much, and definitely wasn't a power. Still, she walked back up to the house with Frieda, who smiled brightly on seeing Warren and looped her arm through his.

"Help an old woman walk up the stairs, would you, dear?"

"You're not old, Ms. Bettendorf," Warren said, grinning. (He was just grateful she wasn't calling him _cutie_ again.)

She laughed brightly. "You say such the nicest things. Just for that, I'll convince Greta to let you stay the night. I'm sure she won't mind someone as strong and handsome as you looking out for two ladies for one night."

"Uh, sure. That'd be great, thanks Ms. Bettendorf."

"Please, call me Frieda, dear."

Sarah went inside with Warren and Frieda, Layla waiting behind with Honey to try and get an explanation from her instead. Honey sighed, realising that Layla wouldn't take no or any evasion tactics to get out of this conversation for an answer.

"My mother grew up in a time of war, when the defence forces' recruitment agencies went knocking on doors and dragging people out of their houses so they could join the fight. She saw people with... gifts, like hers being taken away by people in the government, but she never saw them again, even though their names were never on the obituary lists. My mother's gift is one that she's kept secret for a very long time, because she knew if anyone knew about it, she too would be taken away by the government and never be seen again. Mum was right about that," Honey added with a slight frown.

"All right, but what's her power?"

"Secrets, Layla. She touches someone - sometimes, she just has to see them - and she knows their deepest and darkest secrets. Could you imagine what would happen if the government had her under their control? She would be used to collapse entire countries."

"But... what about Greta and Henry? She didn't know about them," Layla pointed out, her voice low.

Honey's jaw set firmly and she glowered at the house, as if she could see Greta through the brick walls. "Like I said, it's a gift. And her one flaw - or blessing, whichever way you see it - is that it doesn't work on people she's close to. She can only see the secrets of people she doesn't know. Of course, since I spoke about you and Warren when I was a child, she feels as though she already knows you, and hasn't heard a single secret from either of you," she added, seeing the look of relief on Layla's face. "The same can't be said for most people she meets."

"Thank you, Honey."

"You're welcome. Now, let's get inside. It's getting late, and the rest of us should be going... After the cake, that is," she added.

"There's cake?"

"There's _always_ cake at my parties," Honey said with a grin, leading her back inside.

...

End of the thirty-first chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Thirty Two

...

Warren kissed Layla eagerly, his body rising above hers as she gripped his shoulder tightly with one hand while her other trailed along his abs gently. Layla smiled against his lips as she felt his stomach clench at her action, then he retaliated with a hand slipping under her shirt and her breath caught in her throat. He pulled away, licking his lips as he looked down at Layla, her red hair bright in the moon's light. She raised herself up on her elbows, pulling him in for another kiss, and Warren concentrated on nothing but her lips, her gasping little moans, her body warm beneath his and flush against him, and the way she responded to every touch and kiss he gave her.

There was a vibrating noise and Layla's phone lit up as she received a text. Warren groaned in annoyance, sorely tempted to set her damn phone alight.

"Sorry, Warren," Layla said, sighing as she slid out from under him to answer her phone. "Honey says she'll make it up to us."

"I don't see how that helps me right now," Warren muttered with a groan.

Layla smiled and kissed his cheek gently. "We knew that Honey was going to interrupt us; just be grateful we weren't doing more than making out," she murmured.

Warren groaned and flopped down onto Layla's bed, her words not helping him _at all_. "Give me a minute to get under control... That means you can't be in here looking like that," he added with a barely-repressed smirk.

"Like what?" Layla asked in confusion, going over to her mirror dresser. "Oh, wow," she said in surprise, taking up her brush to tame her wild hair. "When did you give me a hickey?" Layla asked, her fingers touching to the bruise that was starting to form on the curve of her shoulder.

"I think it was somewhere between you scraping my chest to pieces and that hip-roll thing you like to torture me with," Warren muttered.

Layla grinned at him in the reflection of her mirror, brushing her hair back into a ponytail, and watching with a sense of disappointment as Warren pulled his shirt back over his head.

They slipped out of Layla's window a few minutes later, both silent as they made their way up the street to the bus stop. The key for the Beast felt heavy in Layla's pocket, and she gripped it tightly, mentally reminding herself to wipe the key clean before putting it back in the Mayor's desk drawer.

...

Layla kept glancing towards the Mayor's office every few minutes. She was worried that he would somehow know what she'd done and that she'd be fired on the spot. Layla tried to keep her thoughts and feelings pleasant, knowing that there was an empath sitting only a few cubicles away.

The Mayor hummed a little tune under his breath. His wife had finally forgiven him, and he'd managed to actually get some work done the night he'd come back to the office. The public still loved him, so all was right in his world. He opened his top drawer, pushed a few things to the side to make room and placed the neatly folded spare tie down before closing the drawer again.

"Layla," he called, looking over to where she was seated in front of his office.

She jumped in surprise, and he tried not to chuckle at how engrossed she must be in her work for him to shock her like that.

"Yes, Mr. Mayor?" Layla asked hesitantly.

In her mind all she could think of was '_oh shit, oh shit, oh shit_' and there was no way that her feelings or thoughts were anything remotely pleasant right then.

"Send a bunch of flowers to my wife, would you? Use the work account, but keep that little tidbit under wraps," the Mayor said, tapping his nose. "Just say it's a miscellaneous expense."

Layla almost sighed in relief. "Of course, sir. Does your wife have a favourite flower?"

"I never remember things like that. Just send her something that looks pretty. Add a note if it's not an extra cost."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor," she replied, heading back to her desk to find a suitable florist.

"The Mayor's wife's favourite flowers are pink roses. She prefers red wine over white, and is allergic to shellfish, so whatever you do, _don't_ book them a table at a seafood restaurant," Nina said with a grin.

"Oh, thank you, Nina. I'd be lost without you," Layla said, smiling up at her gratefully.

"It's all right; no one likes the repercussions of an argument between the Mayor and his wife," she muttered quietly. "That's how good people get fired."

"Right, pink roses then," Layla muttered. "Oh, I know the best florist for roses," she realised with a quick grin.

"Keep them on speed dial," Nina advised, grinning back at her.

...

"I've been thinking," Layla said, looking at Warren briefly.

"Hmm, about what?" he asked warily.

"Royal Pain," she replied, rolling onto her side to look at him properly. "I think I've figured out how she could have won."

"By not doing what she did?" Warren suggested with a snicker.

"Actually, she had it right. I mean, there were aspects that could have been changed, but overall, Royal Pain's plan would have worked if we hadn't stopped her."

Warren looked away from the lemon tree that was growing above him, and frowned at Layla. "Explain, hippie."

"Well, the plan was to turn everyone into babies, leave with them, have Sky High fall out of the sky, and make a villain school, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"The one crucial aspect of her plan wasn't getting the Pacifier, or the Commander and Jetstream, or even the Homecoming Dance. It all rested on Sky High's anti-gravity device."

Warren didn't bother saying anything in response, and just watched as Layla continued to explain, her eyes bright and tinged with green flecks.

"Sky High itself is fairly huge, and since it's so high in the air, it would've come hurtling down to the earth at a ridiculous speed."

_Honestly, hippie?! We were __**on**__ that fucking thing while it was hurtling down to the earth at a ridiculous speed!_ he thought to himself, but still not willing to interrupt her.

"Oh, I know, don't look at me like that... Anyway, with the speed it would have picked up, Sky High smashing into Maxville's suburbian areas would've made such an impact that it would have destroyed Maxville itself. Any student's parents that survived something like that would have believed that their children died in the wreckage of Sky High. Maxville would have been destroyed, and no one would be looking for their children because they'd think them to be dead, and Royal Pain would have been able to raise everyone as villains without any trouble."

Warren thought about her theory for a moment, giving a brief nod. "I suppose that would have worked. Sky High would really have to have done a number on the city for people to not be suspicious about the lack of bodies in the ruins of the school."

"Hmm, true. Still, it's something to think about," Layla murmured, stretching and yawning widely.

Warren pulled her onto his lap, his lips hot against the crook of her neck. Layla made a sound of content, her arms wrapping around him loosely. He grinned against her skin, his tongue flicking out to taste her, one hand moving to hold her as the other slipped beneath her shirt.

"You two aren't going to do anything out here, are you?" Zach asked with a wince, coming into view from the Hive's forest path.

"_Whatever_ do you mean?" Layla asked, tilting her head back, her hair falling between her shoulders as she grinned at him.

"Hey guys, are we still going to study?" Ethan asked, adjusting his bag strap slightly before taking Zach's hand.

"Sure, you two go on ahead to the Hive. We'll be there in a few minutes," Warren said, not looking away from Layla.

Zach and Ethan didn't need to be told twice, and hurried ahead, Zach chuckling to himself knowingly.

"Do you know what Zach was talking about, Warren?" Layla asked, a mischievous grin on her face as she looked at him again.

"Very funny, hippie," he muttered, pressing a firm kiss to her lips.

"Mmm," she murmured as they pulled away, licking her lips. "You keep doing that, and the forest will be done in a few hours."

"Huh?" Warren replied, frowning in confusion.

"Well, they're still not fully grown, and you riling me up like that will affect the trees since I'm nearby. They'll be fully grown within a few hours, and people will _definitely _notice an entire forest that looks fifty years old when this was nothing but a paddock a few months ago."

"So... No getting you horny while you're powered up and near the Hive?"

"Exactly," Layla said with a disappointed sigh, standing up and brushing leaves from her skirt.

"All right. I really wish you'd told me this earlier, I would've started thinking about your Great Aunt the moment we got off the bus," Warren said with a snort.

"You think of my Great Aunt?" Layla asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Who would you prefer I think about?"

"I don't know... Does it have to be a person? Can't it just be something you don't like? Y'know, water, rain, baths, that sort of thing?"

"Hippie? _Shut up._ Somehow you've just made me start thinking of you naked under a goddamn waterfall, and it's the most ridiculous and cliché thought that I actually feel dirty."

Layla didn't reply, and when he looked at her, Warren saw that her eyes seemed to be glazed over, and a pulse of desire came from his vine tattoo as she bit her lip. He returned the feeling, his eyes darkening as she let out a small whimper in response, and fuck it all if he didn't think that _this was going to make masturbating the most interesting damn experience in the world all over again_.

"Study. We have to study. That's what we have to do. Not this... Not yet," Layla murmured, licking her lips as she glanced over to him. "Definitely later though," she added with a wicked grin, and that just did **not **help Warren in the slightest.

"_Fuck me_, hippie. You go ahead too. Let me get under control before I ravish you against a damn tree," he growled.

"Oh, we'll be doing that too," Layla said with a light laugh, turning and heading to the Hive.

Warren could have sworn that she lifted her skirt to show her thighs just to torture him. He let out a groan and thought very hard about anything but being hard.

...

"Hey, Lay, can we talk for a minute?" Zach asked, nodding briefly at Warren.

"Sure, what is it, Zach?" she asked with a smile. She touched Warren's arm slightly to indicate for him to go ahead to the bus stop with Ethan.

Zach waited a few moments until Warren was no longer in ear-shot before he turned to Layla properly. "I wanted to ask about outfits and superhero names ... uh, well, not hero, but y'know what I mean," he said with a quick grin.

"Sure. Any reason you didn't want to bring this up in front of Warren and Ethan?" she asked curiously.

"'Cause I reckon Warren will laugh, and I'd prefer not to have Ethan see me laughed at," Zach admitted, shrugging slightly. "Where are you on the outfits and stuff? I mean, I'm sure you've got it all planned out, but I don't want to be one of those sidekicks in spandex, y'know?"

"I haven't exactly thought of the outfits, honestly. All I know is that it would have masks. Nothing gaudy or ridiculous, I promise," she added.

"Uh, why masks?" Zach asked with a confused frown.

No one bothered wearing masks unless they were Royal Pain; working in a costume that was **_so_** eighteen years ago, and trying to hide her gender to the rest of the world.

"Because I'd prefer to have my identity protected until I'm ready for the world to know me as a villain. It wouldn't really be beneficial to the big plan to have my face plastered on every news channel and media outlet across the globe," Layla pointed out.

"All right, I guess that's understandable. What about names then? If I get any say in it, then I still want to be called Zach Attack," he said, grinning broadly.

"You will get a say in it, I promise, but I can also promise you this: you will _never_ be named Zach Attack while you're my sidekick. Or Zach anything-else-added-on either," she added before he could provide another suggestion.

"Why not?" Zach asked, looking crestfallen.

"What's the main thing that we're taught about supers and citizens, Zach?"

"Uh... That citizens don't have powers like supers do?" he ventured.

"Right, and what does that make us to citizens?"

"An unknown threat, usually," Zach said, still unsure as to why this meant he couldn't be called Zach Attack.

"Exactly. Now, let's say you're out in the citizen world with a regular job, then you and I go rob a bank. The next day, headlines read: Layla Flower and Zach Attack rob bank! Our pictures are plastered everywhere, and even with the mask, your hair can still be seen. With me so far?"

Zach sighed, nodding reluctantly. He seemed to understand where it was going, but Layla pressed on to really drive her point home.

"Right, so you go into work, citizens start to think and talk to each other. They realise that your name is Zach and you have blonde hair, just like the bank robber. They might disregard it for a while, because surely you're not the only blonde Zach in Maxville, but they get suspicious and start snooping around in your things - they are power-less citizens after all, and need to exert their power in any way, shape, and form they possibly can - and they find something damning. Or maybe one of them just doesn't like you for whatever reason and decides you fit the bill, and plants something on you. You'd be in Maxville Penitentiary before the week's out... Now, tell me honestly: do you still really want to be called Zach Attack?"

"No, I suppose not. I guess super alter egos are called that for a reason," he muttered sourly.

"Good decision. Now, don't worry, I promise not to call you something ridiculous like Firefly," Layla promised, grinning. "You'll definitely have a say in your name, as well as your own outfit. In fact, why don't you look into designing the outfits for both of us?"

"Seriously? You're letting me, Mr. No-Fashion-Sense, design our outfits?"

"I said design, not colour," Layla said, laughing. "Besides, I think it'd be good for both of us. I'll need to start listening to your ideas if we're going to do this together."

Zach stopped and hugged her tightly. "I won't let you down!"

"I never thought you would," she said, patting his back gently.

"Eth, you got a notepad I can borrow?" Zach called. "Oh, and I know all about the hazards of capes, so you don't have to worry about wind turbines," he said over his shoulder to Layla with a broad smile.

Layla nodded and smiled, though she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

...

_Magenta left class crying_.

Ethan's text message distracted Layla from her Maths for Supers class, and she quickly put her hand up to excuse herself. She was allowed to leave with the provision that she didn't return with her phone, and Layla just nodded quickly, a faint tinge of red on her cheeks as she left the classroom. There was only one bathroom near the Sidekick classrooms, so it wasn't difficult to find Magenta, and Layla knocked on the cubicle door gently.

"What?" Magenta snapped, her voice rough to try and hide the fact that she was mortified at being caught crying.

"Are you all right, Magenta?" Layla asked.

Magenta opened the door slowly, looking an absolute mess with her mascara running down her cheeks and tears filling her eyes again.

"What do you care?" Magenta muttered sourly, stepping forward to move past Layla.

Putting her arm out, Layla stopped Magenta from leaving the cubicle and gave her a sweet smile. "Of course I care, Magenta. You were my best friend once; do you really think I'd forget about that just because you and Will are dating?"

Magenta looked at her in disbelief, but must have seen something in Layla's expression because she burst into tears again.

"That's right, let it all out. Now, why don't we get you cleaned up and we'll find somewhere to talk?" Layla suggested.

"But... What about your class?" Magenta asked, sniffing miserably.

"It's just math; I'll catch up," she replied with a shrug.

Magenta nodded gratefully and let Layla lead her over to the basin to clean herself up.

...

"What's all this about you skipping class for Magenta?" Warren asked when the Sky High bus was up in the air and they couldn't be overheard.

"I'm giving Magenta what she needs in a very difficult time: a friend."

"To what end, hippie? You forget that she helped Will cheat on you?"

"Of course not. I have a very specific plan of revenge for Magenta's betrayal."

"Mmm, why don't you share with the rest of the class?" Warren asked, his mouth hot against her ear.

"Oh, it's nothing much; I just plan on whittling away at her emotions until she's utterly useless as Will's sidekick."

"You think he'll choose her as a sidekick?"

"Will's a very simple and stupid creature; he wouldn't want to be parted from Magenta if he could help it, so yes, there is a very real chance that he'll ask her to be his sidekick."

"Hmm, he's stupid and naive enough to think it's a good idea. I know better; you'd never be happy being my sidekick. Not when we can work better together, side by side," Warren said, and she could feel his lips curving into a grin against her skin.

She turned to kiss him properly, but all too soon the bus landed with a heavy thump, jarring them apart. Layla muttered under her breath, Warren chuckling beside her as he put his arm around her shoulders. The Mayor's office building came into view, and Layla sighed heavily, not particularly wanting to go to work tonight. Not if meant that she had to leave Warren's side in the next three minutes.

"Don't worry about it, hippie. We'll go to the Hive tonight, and then we'll be able to continue what we started," Warren said softly.

Layla nodded reluctantly, but even she couldn't tell if he meant making out or continuing their conversation about Magenta and Will. She smiled, pressed a quick kiss to Warren's lips and hurried down to the front of the bus as they pulled up to the side of the road. Layla couldn't help but grin on feeling that her lips were still tingling with heat as she stepped onto the sidewalk.

...

"I'm heading off for the evening, Layla. Why don't you leave early tonight, if you don't have anything urgent?" the Mayor offered with a generous smile as he locked his office door on the way out.

"That's very kind of you, sir. I'll just finish replying to these emails, and I might take you up on your offer," Layla said, smiling briefly. "You have a good night with your wife at the restaurant," she called as he headed over to the elevator with a farewell over his shoulder.

"Thanks, you too," he called, obviously not listening to her past 'have a good night'.

Layla shook her head and returned her attention to the computer. She did have quite a few emails to reply to, as well as a small stack of envelopes in her in-tray to get through. She glanced over at the envelopes, almost dismissing them immediately, but saw a small bee sticker on one. Layla pulled it out from underneath the pile quickly, grinning on seeing the bees surrounding a small beehive. The address on the envelope was hand-written, and there was no return address; she could feel a weight to it, but the envelope felt _squishy_ as well.

_The emails could wait_, Layla decided, opening the envelope quickly. It was padded, which explained the squishiness, and a key fell out of the packaging into her palm. A small note fluttered down onto Layla's lap and she gripped the key tightly as she used her free hand to open the note.

_Wait until 7:40pm. You have three minutes_.

It wasn't signed, and there was nothing else to the note. Layla looked back at her computer screen and saw that it was 7pm. Forty minutes to go. _Well, she did have some emails to reply to_.

Layla looked at the clock again when she'd finished, and was dismayed to discover that what had felt like twenty minutes was actually barely fifteen. These were going to be the longest thirty minutes of her life.

Thirty minutes later, Layla had filed all of the paperwork for _The Monster_, had ensured that the stack of paperwork to be signed was clipped together for the Mayor to deal with in the morning, and had even read the absolutely mind-numbingly _boring_ minutes of the Council's last meeting. 7:33pm ticked over, and Layla barely resisted the urge to go into the Mayor's office, screw the next seven minutes. As she was about to stand up and get the spare key from Nina's desk (the Mayor didn't know about the key; apparently he still thought that security opened his office door whenever he left his key at home), her phone rang loudly and made her jump in fright.

"Hello, this is Layla," she said, trying not to sound too freaked our over the phone.

"Ah, good, you're still there. Glad I rang you then... I've left my wallet in my jacket pocket, and my jacket's hanging up behind the door. Get security to open my office door and bring my jacket down, would you? I can't be bothered coming back in again."

"Of course, sir. I'll let Dave know right away," Layla said, hanging up to call down to the foyer.

"Hi Layla; is everything all right?"

"The Mayor's left his jacket upstairs and would like you to take it out to the parking lot for him, please. I'd offer to do it myself, but I can't open his office."

"I can't leave the building; what if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen, Dave. I'm the only one in here besides you; even Maria's gone home. I won't even move from my desk until you've come back in," Layla promised.

Dave sighed heavily on the other end of the phone. "All right, fine. But I'll be coming straight back up there to the Mayor's office after I get back in the building, understood?"

"Of course, thank you."

Dave hung up and, keeping his eyes on his security screens the best he could, he headed over to the elevators. He couldn't help but smile at Layla as he went to the Mayor's office and produced a large ring of keys. It took him a minute and three tries to find the proper key, but he had it eventually, and then Dave was back at the elevators seconds later.

"Now, remember: no moving from your desk! Press the panic button if something happens!" Dave called as the doors closed.

"Huh. I didn't know I had a panic button," Layla murmured to herself, feeling under the edge of her desk carefully.

She found the button and was sorely tempted to press it, but then she noticed the time. It was 7:40pm exactly, and she had three minutes. Layla set her watch so she wouldn't go over time, and hurried to start. She was inside the Mayor's office in under thirty seconds, and was opening the Beast five seconds later. The first drawer was fairly disappointing, with Council meetings and agendas being filed haphazardly in there - and a bottle of Scotch hidden behind the files carefully. _A minute and a half_.

The second drawer was again, full of files, but these looked like they hadn't been touched in years. This as further proved by the large cloud of dust that came out as Layla opened the drawer. She shut it again and hurried to clean her face of any traces of dust. _A little under a minute left_.

The third drawer opened smoothly, but there were no files, just a long black box sitting in the middle of the drawer. Layla frowned and reached in to grab the box. As she moved her hand inside, she noticed a small red glow coming from the back of the drawer and adjusted herself to look closer. It was so dark that she hadn't noticed it at first, but now Layla realised that this drawer was smaller than the top two. The back panel was actually false, and as she went to touch it, Layla heard her watch beep. Her three minutes were up.

Frustrated and curious beyond belief, Layla made herself close the drawer without doing anything, and hurried back to her desk, making sure to pocket the key for the Beast, and return the office key to Nina's desk as well.

Dave sat down at his security screens a few seconds later, and called up to Layla's desk, deciding not to go up there since he'd already locked the office door on the way out.

"Nothing happened, Dave. Am I allowed to move now?" Layla asked, grinning over to the camera.

"Sure thing; the Mayor said you're to take the rest of the night off, and that's an order," Dave said with a chuckle.

"Sir, yes, sir," Layla said, thanking him and hanging up. She just hoped he wouldn't get suspicious and look at the camera's backlog.

...

Warren was silent as they came to the Hive's forest, and kept his hand against the small of Layla's back as he guided her down the path. She was quiet as well, her cheeks burning. Layla had very recently discovered that Warren touching the small of her back was a hell of a turn on, especially when his hand was almost hot enough to burn through her clothes. (He didn't dare let himself lose control and burn her clothes again though; Layla had thrown her shirt out to avoid being punished by Greta, and he doubted the old bag would buy anything new for Layla without a damn good reason.)

"We're inside now; will you tell me what's going on?" Layla asked when the Hive door closed behind them.

""Not yet, hippie. We're not far enough away yet."

"Away from what?"

Warren didn't answer and simply headed to the library where the trap door was. Layla followed him, curious enough to not be angry just yet.

"All right, this should be far enough. Can you feel them?" Warren asked when they finally stopped walking almost ten minutes later.

"Feel what?" Layla asked irritably.

"The trees. We should be as far away from the forest as possible, right?"

Layla took a moment to release her power and feel for her trees. Their roots were in the ground, but they were still growing and hadn't reached this part of the Hive yet.

"So it's safe to kiss you then?" Warren asked, grinning at her broadly.

Layla answered him by drawing him into a heated kiss, his vine tattoo spinning wildly as he felt thorns digging into his skin. Phantom flames flickered along her wrist in return, and Warren pressed her up against the closest wall to continue kissing her. This time they weren't interrupted.

...

End of the thirty-second chapter.

Thanks for reading; I hope you liked it!


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Chapter Thirty Three

...

It was a whole week before Layla was able to get back into the Mayor's office and inspect the Beast again. She'd organised the plan with Warren at the Hive that weekend, and he was currently downstairs distracting Dave while she slipped into the Mayor's office.

Layla opened the bottom drawer of the Beast, and ignoring the black box sitting on the bottom of the drawer, she reached back pulled the false panel off instead. The small red glow she'd seen last week now illuminated the entire drawer, and in the odd light, Layla could see that the black box was actually an access panel, with a hand scanner on the left and a number pad on the right. She shuddered, extremely glad that she hadn't touched the box. Being caught red-handed trying to open whatever this accessed would lead straight to a cell in Maxville Super Penitentiary, no matter how innocent she claimed to be.

She might be able to guess the numbers, but without the Mayor's hand print, Layla doubted she'd ever access what was hidden within the Beast. Layla wondered if the Mayor would notice if she tried to cut his hand off. _Hmm, probably; even he wasn't _**_that_**_ dense_.

Closing the drawer, Layla headed back out to her desk and packed her bag to go home. There was no use hanging about trying to get into something that was beyond her reach at the moment. Heading down to the foyer, Layla smiled at Warren brightly, and thanked Dave for keeping her boyfriend company.

"Oh, not a problem. Always nice to have someone to talk to once in a while," Dave said with a quick nod.

"You have a good night, Dave," Layla said, Warren shaking his hand in farewell and following her outside.

Neither one spoke on the way to the bus stop, and Layla tried to think of a way to get the Mayor's handprint without raising anyone's suspicions or costing her a small fortune. She had no way of making a copiable gelatine handprint, and doubted the Mayor would touch it even if she did. Besides, Layla suspected that sort of thing only worked in movies.

"What did you find out?" Warren asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder when they reached the bus stop.

"That we're going to need a lot more time than just a few minutes while Dave's distracted," she muttered, sighing. "That black box I told you about is actually an access panel. Handprint and code required. I have no idea how we're going to get the Mayor's handprint, even if we do work out the code."

Warren didn't reply, but was obviously thinking about what she'd said.

"Craig," he said suddenly. "He owes you a favour, doesn't he?" Warren asked, grinning.

"He already helped out with the lottery ticket, so he doesn't owe anything to us. Yet," Layla added, trying to think of a way to get a favour from Craig without him asking questions.

"We could just make him a permanent marker," Warren replied. "That way we don't have to bribe him every time we need something."

"Yeah, that _would _make it easier. But how do we make him permanent? We've only just got Ethan and Zach on board."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I doubt we'll be able to figure out that access panel's code in the next week, or even month. We're not even going to be ready to deal with whatever's in there with only us, Ethan, Zach, and maybe Honey. What we need is time, and now that the Mayor's been re-elected, time is definitely on our side. I say we leave it for now, work on things that we can actually handle, and then go back to it when we're ready."

Layla smiled up at him brightly. "I love it when you think of the bigger picture."

Warren grinned and pulled her close, kissing her heatedly. He heard the bus coming up over the hill and flagged it down, not moving away from Layla until it came to a complete stop beside them. The bus driver gave them a nod, starting to recognise them as regulars, and actually waited until they were seated before driving back onto the road.

...

Heidi was _bored_. She had finished her homework, didn't feel like watching TV, and she'd already read every good book in the house. Zach was out with Ethan, her parents were at work, and as far as Heidi was concerned, there was absolutely _nothing_ for her to do. Deciding to go out for the day - she'd leave and be back before anyone could find out - Heidi grabbed her things, turned her hearing aid on, and left the house. She made sure to lock the door before heading to the bus stop down the street.

The mall wasn't Heidi's most favourite place, especially since people seemed to knock into each other already, without taking into account that she couldn't hear them properly to get out of the way. She usually didn't go somewhere so busy without Zach, since he could help her calm down, but she didn't have that choice today. Heidi headed inside, trying to decide whether she should spend some of her saved money to watch one of the closed captioning movies at the cinema, or if she should just browse the toy store and pretend she could buy whatever she wanted. Figuring the toy store was a safer option - she didn't want to be out too long in case Zach or her parents came home to find her not there - Heidi headed in the direction of the store, keeping her eyes alert on the people around her.

Up ahead Layla and Warren exited a store, Warren's arm around her waist as Layla chatted away about something. They were both carrying bags filled with what looked to be pots and pans, and as Heidi hurried closer and really concentrated on what their lips were saying, she realised that Layla was talking about plate patterns. Heidi wasn't concentrating on the people around her properly, her gaze focused on Layla and Warren, and she didn't hear when a store's door opened to the side of her, two people stepping out. Heidi knocked into them, all three going flying, and drawing the attention of passersby when the other two let out a string of curses. Layla and Warren hurried over when they saw Heidi, and helped her up as the man and woman stood up, cursing at Heidi for her ineptitude, attitude, and whatever else they could think of. Heidi shrank in on herself, and the store's fluorescent sign began to flicker brightly.

"Calm down, dude, she's deaf and didn't hear you coming out of the store," Warren said, glaring at the older man.

"Are you okay, Heidi?" Layla asked clearly, moving slightly so she was on eye-level with her.

Heidi nodded, signing thank you to Layla then turned to the couple and signed an apology, trying to look as contrite as possible.

"She's apologised, and it was an accident. Nothing's broken, you and your girlfriend are both fine, and that sort of language is really not necessary. Please apologise," Layla added sternly, her arm wrapped around Heidi's shoulder.

The man went a bright shade of red when he realised the size of the crowd that had gathered. He muttered something under his breath that had Layla tightening her hold on Heidi, and Warren stepped forward.

"That wasn't an apology."

"Sorry," he said louder, but not at all believable. He grabbed his girlfriend's arm and pulled her away, the rest of the crowd dispersing when they saw that Heidi would be all right.

"Huh, look at that."

"What?" Layla asked Warren, frowning.

"We did something good and no camera crew turned up!" he said, snorting.

"Don't jinx it. Where were you planning on going, Heidi?" Layla asked, smiling at her.

Heidi just shrugged and fixed her hearing aid. "Nowhere, really."

"Well, in that case, want to come with us? We've just bought a bunch of new things and need to try them out," Layla said, holding up her bags with a grin.

Heidi nodded quickly. She didn't care where they were going, just so long as it was far away from here.

Layla grinned again and offered Heidi her hand, guiding her outside of the mall with Warren walking beside them. Heidi was quiet as she went with Layla and Warren to the bus stop, wondering just where they were taking her. She frowned slightly when they flagged down a bus that Heidi knew went to the outskirts of Maxville, where there was nothing but paddocks and unused land.

"Where are we going?"

"Just wait and see," Layla said, grinning.

They sat with Heidi in the middle of the bus - they could have their pick of seats, even for a busy Saturday - and when they were far enough out of the metropolitan area, Layla nodded out of the window with a grin. Heidi followed her gaze and saw the weeds along the side of the road bursting into wild and vibrant flowers as the bus passed, then fading back to their original plant when they were no longer in sight. Heidi stared, amazed at the control Layla had over her power, and wishing she could get to be as good as her some day. The flowers kept Heidi entertained for the rest of the bus ride, and she was startled when Layla tapped her on the shoulder, nodding towards the bus stop just ahead. The bus came to a slow stop, and they gathered their bags, getting off the bus with Layla thanking the driver over her shoulder. Heidi hurried to do the same, but the doors closed and the bus tore off, and she doubted that she'd been heard.

"Just a few minutes' walk, and we'll be at the Hive," Layla said, flexing the bags in her hands before walking up the road with Heidi beside her. Warren wasn't far behind, still holding his own selection of bags as well.

Heidi had been down just last year when her parents took her and Zach to their grandparents for the summer. She knew the road was nothing special, full of paddocks with weeds as white as Zach's hair, and not much else. There weren't even many people that lived out this way - the farmers were still further south where the soil was actually amenable to letting things grow higher than a foot tall - so when they came over the hill and Heidi saw an actual forest in one of the blocks of land, she was surprised to say the least.

Layla gave a soft laugh at her expression, and Warren grinned broadly too.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, kid. C'mon, I need to put these bags down like yesterday," Warren added, striding ahead.

Layla winked at Heidi and they followed after him at a normal pace. Heidi stared as she came closer to the forest, the trees seeming to sway in a breeze she wasn't entirely certain she could feel, and followed Layla and Warren along the path. Heidi stopped short on seeing the house behind it, the wood a warm colour of honey, a porch wrapped around the entire thing, and it looked so inviting that Heidi found herself taking a step forward before she realised it. Layla and Warren were waiting at the front door for her patiently, and Heidi blushed, hurrying up the steps to the house.

"Welcome to the Hive," Layla said, smiling broadly as she opened the front door.

...

On Monday morning, Warren and Layla were met at the bus stop by Zach, who looked to be vibrating with nervous energy. He walked with them a way up to the school building, waiting until the rest of the students were out of sight before tugging Layla aside. (No matter if he was starting to recognise when Warren was joking or not, Zach didn't want to physically pull _him_ aside; he wasn't suicidal, thank you very much!)

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Layla?" Zach hissed at Layla.

"Good morning to you too, Zach," she replied, raising an eyebrow pointedly.

"Don't you pull that shit on me, Layla; what the hell do you think you're doing showing Heidi The Hive?" he hissed, eyes darting around to see if anyone was listening. "She's too young to be involved in this."

"Warren and I showed Heidi the house itself, Zach. Heidi helped us organise the kitchen with the new plates and utensils we bought on the weekend," Layla said firmly, watching as Zach's shoulders sagged in relief. "And Heidi's not too young, actually. It's actually a perfect age," she added, ignoring Zach's squawk of protest, "Heidi's starting to question the morality of heroes and villains in a way that school assignments will never allow her, and I'm all for letting people choose their own path."

"But, Lay. She's my kid sister."

Warren finally looked alert enough from his morning coffee too contribute to the conversation, and shook his head at Zach with a small snort. "Exactly, glow worm. Don't you think she'd be better on our side, than _theirs?_" he asked, nodding over to the Sky High building. "Heroes and villains alike have kidnapped family members and loved ones in order to make the villain or hero cooperate."

Zach actually paled at that, and he looked a bit sick at the thought.

"Honestly, Zach, we're not going to do anything to Heidi. She's like a younger sister I never knew I wanted, and I won't hurt her - or let her get hurt - all right?" Layla added.

"Yeah, she's a good kid. We're not forcing her to be a permanent maker," Warren said with a shrug, throwing his disposable coffee cup in the recycling bin.

"A what?" Zach asked, looking between them with a slight frown, but at least he seemed interested rather than ill.

Warren smirked. "We'll explain to you and Ethan later," he said, just as the school bell rang. "You go ahead, Layla. I'll see you at lunch."

Layla looked intrigued as to what he was going to talk to Zach about, but relented with a nod, and headed up to the school building, humming under her breath.

Warren put an arm around Zach's shoulder firmly, leading him up to the building at a slower pace. "You _ever_ even _think_ about grabbing Layla like that again, I'll burn your dick off, and I'll do it **slowly**, got it?"

Zach's eyes widened; Warren was being a _hundred and ten percent _**_serious_**. "Yes, I got it! I was just worried, Warren, you've gotta understand that."

"I do understand, trust me on that. But if you do something like that when you're _just worried_, what will you do when you're _just angry?_"

Warren patted him on the back firmly and left Zach standing in front of the school entrance, stock-still on the steps and feeling like complete and utter shit.

Inside the classroom, Layla smiled softly as she thought of Heidi's pleas over the weekend: to let her know what they were planning with Zach and Ethan, to let her in on the plans, and to ignore anything that Zach said because he was just being overprotective of her as he always had been, but she could totally handle herself. _Promise_.

Heidi's eyes had been wide and pleading, and Layla had smiled at her, telling Heidi that when the time was right, she would know their plans and no one - not even Zach - would stop her from participating. _Promise_.

...

End of the thirty-third chapter.

Thanks for reading; I hope you liked it!


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

_Read on, oh faithful ones..._

**Author note:** Due to the fact that I'm still unable to post new stories, I've created a second account for my new stories. The link is in my profile.

...

Magenta gave Layla a small smile as she passed her with Will at lunch, and Layla returned the smile brightly. Craig, Larry, and Adam stared at Layla like she'd grown a second head.

"What was all that about, Layla?" Craig asked, eyes wide.

"Nothing," she replied with a shrug.

Adam scoffed. "Uh, yeah. That was nothing. You're _smiling_ at the chick that helped your ex cheat on you."

"Magenta was my friend before that."

"Key word? _Was_," Larry pointed out, adjusting his glasses. "Now, spill, what's going on? Is this one of those chick-flicks where you're both really friends and you're going to break Stronghold's heart or something?"

"Um, no. I don't think I've seen that movie," Layla said, grinning slightly. "I'm just trying to be a good friend to Magenta. She's been treated very cruelly in all of this, and I don't like to see people suffer."

"You're a better friend than I am," Adam said, shaking his head. "Either one of these guys hooked up with my girl, I'd drop 'em off the edge of the school."

"Wow, that's harsh," Craig said, eyes wide.

"Don't like cheaters, that's all," Adam replied with a shrug.

"_Daddy issues_," Donny coughed as he walked past the table with Wendy.

"Ignore him, Adam. Or, if you can't do that, imagine your grandmother in a skimpy bikini."

All three boys shuddered at the sudden mental image, and there was a noise of pure disgust from Donny at the front of the cafeteria. Adam snickered at the noise, and high-fived Larry with a broad grin. Craig laughing as he changed into Donny's form, shuddering with a horrified expression on his face and others at surrounding tables joined in with his laughter.

"Craig, that's not funny," Layla said, all trace of humour gone from her expression.

"Uh, what?"

"You're making fun of someone and belittling them, and it's not funny," Layla replied simply.

Slowly, and obviously confused, he shifted back to his normal form. "But it's _Donny_."

"Your point?"

"Uh, he's a bully on par with Speed and Lash; he's like one exploding science experiment away from becoming a full-on villain."

"Why do you say that? Because he's telepathic, or because he speaks the truth about the things he hears and it upsets you?"

"No, but... Well, everyone... I mean, everyone does it."

"Everyone does _what_ exactly? Humiliates someone because they said something that was rude or unacceptable?" Layla asked, barely glancing over to the door where she knew Donny and Wendy were still waiting.

"Well, no, but ... you just!"

"I just _what?_" Layla asked firmly. "I mentioned a mental image that would cause some slight discomfort, but would only be known between yourself and Donny. It's not something that he can project to the rest of the school, and it was done as retribution for what he said about Adam, nothing more. You went one step further and made an effort to publicly harm Donny's reputation. Now, I'd ask you to apologise, but I think you've learnt your lesson," she said, now looking over to Donny, who gave a brief nod and left with Wendy quickly.

"Yeah. I won't do it again," Craig muttered, looking thoroughly chastised.

"Thank you. Now, would the three of you like to come to the movies with me and my friends on the weekend?" Layla asked, smiling at them again.

"I'll come," Craig said quickly, not wanting to upset Layla again.

"What are you going to see?" Adam asked.

"Which friends?" Larry asked dubiously.

"I was planning on watching _28 Pays Later_; Warren, Zach, and Ethan have been invited as well," Layla replied.

"That's the new zombie one, right?" Craig asked, actually sounding excited. "I've heard good things about it."

"Same. I'm in, just let me know the time. Mind if I invite my girlfriend?" Adam asked.

"Not at all; who are you dating again?" Layla asked curiously.

"Lisa, she works on the school paper."

"Oh, is she the one that has three eyes?"

"Yeah, that's her," Adam said, grinning. "She's awesome. Ben's friends with her too, y'know, with the six arms? He's really good at collating the papers, apparently," he said with a slight chuckle.

"I imagine so," Layla said with a grin of her own, the bell ringing loudly to signify the end of lunch. "If you want to invite anyone, that's fine, so long as you all buy your own tickets," she added.

"No problem. Text us the details later for times," Craig said as Layla stood and headed over to Warren's table.

"Hey," Layla said, kissing him firmly and pulling away with a smile.

"Hey yourself, hippie. Enjoy lunch?" Warren asked.

"Yes, I did. We're going to the movies this weekend with everyone," Layla said.

"Whoa, what? What movie, who's everyone?" he asked in surprise.

"_28 Pays Later_; Zach, Ethan, Craig, Larry, Adam, possibly his girlfriend Lisa, and if I can convince them, Wendy and Donny too. Did you know they were a couple?" Layla asked curiously.

"No, and I don't care. Why are we going out to the movies with that many people? It could be just us," Warren added, voice hot and rough as he pressed a kiss just below her ear.

"Hmm, it could be, but that's not going to help with our future plans, is it?" she murmured, taking his hand and leading him out of the cafeteria.

"Really, _those_ three?" Zach asked, sounding insulted as he and Ethan hurried to catch up to them.

"No, actually, not all three of them. Oh, that reminds me. Ethan, I have a plan to discuss with you. Warren, you'll ask Donny and Wendy about this weekend, won't you? They're in your year, after all."

"I'm not friends with them, hippie," Warren muttered, even as Ethan brightened up at the idea of getting to discuss a plan with Layla.

"That's what these kinds of outings are for: to make friends. Just think loudly in Donny's direction if you really don't want to say it out loud," Layla said with a laugh. "Zach, go to class and make sure to distract Mr. Boy for Ethan, please. I won't keep him long," she added, taking Ethan's arm and leading him outside through the hallway's side exit.

"Right. We'd better do as she says, Warren," Zach said over his shoulder, heading to English for Hero Support.

Warren sighed and headed to his own Mad Science class.

"What's the plan, Layla?" Ethan asked eagerly.

"I need you to join the school paper."

"Uh, what?"

"Adam's girlfriend Lisa is on the paper, and she's friends with Ben. According to things I've heard, Ben likes Lisa, but won't do anything while she's with Adam. I want you on the school paper to make sure they get together. Ben's only on the paper to get closer to her, and Lisa's in her senior year next year, she won't have time for both a boyfriend and the school paper."

"What? How will getting those two together help with anything?" Ethan asked, eyes wide behind his glasses.

"Think of it as the first step to gaining control. Media influences people, right? You being on the paper means we get to influence to people, to make sure they only know what we want them to know. With Lisa and Ben more focused on each other than the paper, you'll have more control."

"Like a hostile takeover: control the way your opposition's seen, and everyone will think you're the hero not the tyrant?"

"Exactly," Layla said, seeming pleased at his interpretation.

"All right, I'll do it. Mum's saying stuff about extra-curricular activities for college applications, anyway," Ethan said, grinning a little at the idea of being able to do both at once.

"You're amazing, Ethan. Let me know how it goes, okay? You'd better get to English before Mr. Boy notices," she added, and Ethan nodded quickly in return, hurrying inside.

Layla hoped that Warren would be able to convince Donny and Wendy just as easily. They needed to get everyone used to one another before they could start anything more _permanent_.

...

_Hey, Donny!_ Warren thought loudly.

The other boy didn't even acknowledge the thought. Warren gritted his teeth and contemplated flicking bits of his eraser at Donny instead. Donny turned and glowered at that.

_Movies with me, Layla, and a bunch of others on Saturday?_

Donny's glower turned to a look of confusion, and Warren raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response. Donny looked over to Wendy, then nodded quickly. Thankful that his job had been completed successfully, Warren turned his attention back to Mr. Medulla's lecture about death rays. _Might come in handy one day_.

A few seconds later, a ball of paper hit Warren's arm, and he took a moment to stare at it, because who the fuck passed notes like that anymore? He unrolled it, though he was seriously tempted to just burn it into a pile of ash instead.

'How do I ask Wendy out? Donny.'

_Oh fuck, this is so not what he was meant to do. Why the hell couldn't people deal with their own shit on their own?_

"Mr. Peace, would you care to elaborate on the topic, or is the piece of paper you just received more vital than learning the difference between a shrink ray and a death ray?" Mr. Medulla asked, sidling up next to Warren.

Warren rolled his eyes and set fire to the small crumpled piece of paper. "Remember who had to change your diaper, Medulla?" he growled under his breath.

Medulla paled slightly, gave a cough, and moved to the front of the classroom again. "As I was saying..."

Donny looked back at Warren, giving a small hand and face motion as if to say 'well?!', and Warren seriously wanted to smack his head against a wall instead of deal with this crap.

_I don't fucking know! Tell her she looks nice, say you're interested, and ask if she wants to go to the movies; let her decide if it's as friends or not, and don't be a dick and push the issue if she says no_.

Donny gave a slight nod, and turned his attention back to Mr. Medulla.

_Fucking hell, if a damn telepath couldn't work out how to talk to someone he liked, what hope did the rest of them have?!_ Warren wondered, shaking his head.

...

"Be thankful you have Ethan, okay, glow stick?" Warren muttered as he headed past him to his next class.

"Uh, all right. Thanks for the advice?" Zach called after him, wary and a little confused. "Oh, hey, Layla, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. Can we talk on the way to class?" Layla asked.

Zach nodded quickly, moving so he was walking beside her. "I just wanted to apologise for grabbing you the way I did yesterday. I'm sorry for doing that, I never meant to hurt you."

Layla was ready to forgive him in a second, to brush off the whole incident, but from his expression, she could tell that Zach thought it needed more than that.

"Thank you for apologising, Zach. I forgive you, but if you try it again, I'll make sure it won't happen again, all right?"

Zach nodded, knowing he wouldn't let himself do it again anyway. "Thanks, Lay. Oh, what did you tell Eth? He's been grinning like crazy, and I can tell he's planning something big in that head of his."

"Get Ethan to tell you later," Layla said, smiling before she headed into the Mad Science classroom.

Realising that he had his class on the other side of the building, Zach turned and started running through the corridors, narrowly missing the other students.

...

End of the thirty-fourth chapter.

Thanks for reading!

(Don't forget to look at my new account for new stories!)


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sky High.

...

Chapter Thirty Five

...

"Congratulations on making the school paper, Ethan. What did your parents say?" Layla asked, grinning at him.

"They were so proud that mum made me a cake. I'm tempted to join the yearbook committee next week," Ethan said, laughing.

"You never told me there was cake!" Zach said, sounding scandalised. "I would've come sooner to eat my fill."

"And there's the reason I didn't tell you," Ethan pointed out, grinning. He stood up on his toes to press a quick kiss to Zach's cheek, both of them blushing gently.

"Still planning on _28 Pays Later_, Lay? There's some other movies out this week that look just as good," Zach suggested, looking up at the board.

Beside him, Heidi tugged on his sleeve and then signed something, looking excited.

"Really, that one? Oh, I didn't see that. Nice, Heids," Zach replied, signing back to her as well.

"Everything okay?" Layla asked.

"Fine; Heidi just saw that one of the movies has closed captioning, so she can watch it on her own without being forced to see a movie she can't understand, and have to watch me and Eth make out."

"Heidi didn't really say all of that, did she?" Ethan asked, blushing again.

"Well, I might've added the last bit on. Doesn't mean it's not true," Zach added, winking.

"Hey, Layla!" Larry called to her, waving as he made his way over with Craig; Adam and Lisa beside them.

"Hey guys. You ready for the movie?" Layla asked, smiling at them.

"Yeah! Bring on the zombies!" Craig said, grinning.

"We're going to line up for tickets so Heids doesn't miss her movie," Zach called, heading over to the line with Heidi.

"I'm going to get mine, too. I don't want to miss the opening credits," Ethan said, hurrying after them.

"Uh, we might get ours too," Adam said, the other three leaving with him.

Left by herself for the moment, Layla looked up at the screen showing previews of upcoming films. The screen was playing a clip of an upcoming horror movie, the usual damsel in distress screaming and running, the madman chasing after her with a blood-covered knife. There was another scream and the knife was plunged into the woman's stomach, throwing her back across the room with the force. All too fiercely, Layla was reminded of her mother, seeing her thrown across a field.

All of a sudden the cinema foyer felt much too small, there were too many people, she couldn't breathe, but she couldn't move, she couldn't get away. Layla felt as though she was gasping for air, making a spectacle of herself, everyone was staring, and she could hear the rushing of her blood as it hammered through her body far too fast. Her vision started to get spotty, black dots littering her vision, and still, all Layla could see was her mother's body, broken and lifeless in front of her. Layla couldn't breathe, couldn't make herself take in air, couldn't make her mouth work; she was completely frozen.

Mere seconds before she fainted, Layla felt a wave of heat flowing through her. She blinked a few times, slow and languid as she thawed, to see Warren standing in front of her. He looked worried, and as feeling returned to her tingling limbs, Layla realised that he was holding her wrist, the flames circling wildly beneath his fingers. Her fears had been unfounded, no one was staring, and it seemed as though they were completely oblivious to her panic attack.

"You okay?" Warren asked.

Layla licked her lips and gave a slight shake of her head.

"Want to get out of here?"

"No. Not yet. I just... I need dark, I need to breathe," Layla replied, closing her eyes for a moment.

Warren looked over to the movie screening times, then gave a short nod, his hand slipping down to hold Layla's hand instead. "C'mon, hippie."

Layla opened her eyes again and followed Warren without hesitation. She heard him tell Ethan and Zach to create a diversion, and before he'd even finished, Heidi had burst several lightbulbs at one of the cinema entrances. A few people screamed, and the cinema staff ran over to help. While they were distracted, Warren led Layla past the usher's booth and down to a particular cinema. It was empty, credits rolling on the screen, and Warren sat on a seat. He tugged Layla down onto his lap, moving her so she was facing his shoulder, her vision blocked from the screen.

"Breathe, hippie. I've got you," Warren said, pressing a hot kiss to her skin as he wrapped his arms around her, firm and comforting.

Layla let herself relax, breathing in and out slowly, listening to the pulse of Warren's heartbeat.

"How'd you know it would be empty?" Layla asked when she felt calmer.

"It's the only movie that has two showings; it means it was already released a month or so ago, and most people have already seen it. This will be probably be the last weekend it's screened," Warren added. "Better?"

"A little. Let's go out to the others; I'll be all right," Layla said, pulling back from his shoulder.

There was a cough nearby, and they both looked over to see the cleaner standing there, looking embarrassed. Realising the position they were in, with Layla practically straddling Warren's lap, Layla tried not to laugh at the cleaner's misconception and stood up, hoping she looked contrite rather than amused. Warren just rolled his eyes and took her hand as they left the cinema together.

Donny and Wendy had arrived, and their group of friends were waiting by the usher's booth with their tickets, getting them processed by the usher. The glass was still being cleaned at the cinema, signs and velvet rope blocking the area.

"We wondered where you two'd gone," Craig said, grinning and looking between them. "Just couldn't wait 'til you got inside, hey?" he added with an exaggerated wink.

"Funny, Craig," Layla said, rolling her eyes.

Craig didn't seem to mind the sarcasm, laughing as he headed to the cinema with the others. Heidi waved goodbye and headed to her own movie. Zach waited to the side as Ethan handed a ticket each to Layla and Warren.

"You didn't have to buy our tickets, Ethan," Layla said, Warren taking her ticket and offering it to the usher.

"You can buy the next one for me and Zach; he wants to watch _The Commander and Jetstream vs. King Kamehamayhem_," Ethan said, shaking his head as they headed towards the cinema.

"It's a remake of the original movie, which obviously means it's going to be even _worse_; therefore: I can mock them as much as I want to," Zach said, grinning.

"You might want to wait for a later session; some people can get fanatic when Jetstream and The Commander are involved, even if it's a bad movie," Layla added.

"I really don't think the movie can be worse than the original. You could still see the strings on the actress they used!" Ethan said.

"Yeah, but this time they're using CGI," Zach said, grinning. "As good as special effects are getting, you can still tell when someone's in front of a green screen pretending to fly."

"Why didn't they just use Blue McQueen? She can hover, and she's an actor," Ethan pointed out.

"Blue McQueen is a B-movie star at best; Hollywood would only want A-listers for a movie about The Commander and Jetstream," Zach said with a laugh, leading the way up the stairs to their seats.

"What's so funny?" Larry asked eagerly as they sat down.

"Talking about the new Jetstream and The Commander movie; Ethan thinks Blue McQueen could've been Jetstream."

"No way!" Craig said, glancing around quickly before changing his features to Blue McQueen's. "You think _this_ looks like Jetstream?"

"I think you overestimated the length of her chin, Craig," Wendy said.

"And her eyes are blue, not green," Adam pointed out.

Craig groaned and shifted back to his normal appearance. "That's not the point I was trying to make, you all suck."

Zach laughed. "They were right; you rushed it and did a crappy job, Craig."

Craig gave Zach the finger, but he was grinning, so no one thought he was actually offended.

"Oh, previews are on; be quiet," Ethan said, putting his hand over Zach's mouth.

Zach made an indignant squawk, muffled by Ethan's hand, but no one came to his defence. He quietened down, Ethan's hand slipping away when he was sure that Zach would stay that way.

Layla felt a rush of relief that the preview she'd had a panic attack over earlier wasn't one of the previews shown. Warren squeezed her hand gently as the movie started, then they all sat quietly as the opening credits started, a zombie stumbling onto the screen.

Layla didn't feel a rush of panic, she didn't freeze, and she continued to breathe normally. The zombies on screen - far more decrepit and disgusting than the scene she'd seen outside - held no sway over her. She briefly wondered if it was because she knew that she had been coming to see a zombie film, whereas the preview had startled her, coming out of nowhere. Warren glanced at her when a zombie claimed it's first victim inside of a bank (less than 2 minutes into the movie, surely that was a record?), but she gave him a reassuring smile and turned her attention back to the movie again, Warren doing the same beside her.

Almost thirty minutes later, Zach groaned loudly. "I can't stand it anymore! This movie actually sucks."

"Oh, thank god; I thought it was just me," Lisa said, snickering.

"What's wrong with it?" Larry asked, looking at them worriedly.

"Not enough time to go into it; bad plot, bad acting, bad graphics, bad acting."

"You already said that," Larry said.

"It's true," Adam replied, wincing when the male lead declared his love for the female lead in the middle of banking their cheques with an armed bank teller.

"Who reckons the woman will be bitten?" Craig asked.

"I think the man will. There's meant to be a twist in this, according to the reviews," Ethan said, finally giving in on his 'no talking' rule - the movie was bad enough to warrant rule-breaking.

"I don't think I care enough to stay long enough to find out," Donny groaned.

"What's Heidi watching?" Layla asked Zach.

"She's watching the new animated movie about the platypus and the duck that steal a rocket to save their monkey friend from the space circus. It's showing in cinema 4."

Without a word, Wendy was out of her seat in a flurry, and Donny followed her out a second later.

"Are they switching cinemas?" Larry asked, eyes wide in concern.

"I think they just really needed the bathroom," Layla lied, Adam barely holding back a snort of laughter.

From the expression on his face, Larry didn't believe her. "Should we tell someone? I mean, that's not right that they've switched cinemas in the middle of this movie."

"It's not the end of the world, Larry. They already paid for a movie, who cares if they leave one for another? It's not like this place is fully packed," Craig said, clapping Larry on the back.

Another cheque was banked on screen, and as someone came in to make a withdrawal, they were bombarded by several zombies, dying with a theatrical scream.

"That's all I can take. I think I'm looking forward to the space platypus and duck," Zach said, standing and edging his way out of the aisle.

Ethan grimaced at the screen and followed after Zach. Craig left, imitating one of the actor's screams dramatically. Larry looked like he'd been personally offended, and his expression only grew more wounded as Adam and Lisa left as well, leaving him alone with Layla and Warren.

"Are you staying, Layla?" Larry asked hopefully.

"No. I would've left ten minutes ago if I'd known there was another option. Why don't you come as well?" Layla offered, Warren already standing and waiting.

"I don't want to leave. I'm enjoying the movie," he replied, stubbornly.

"All right. If you change your mind, we're in Cinema 4, okay?" Layla said.

Larry's stubborn expression softened briefly, but then he nodded curtly and turned his attention back to the movie.

Layla left with Warren, grinning broadly. This was going even better than they'd planned.

The usher saw them walk past, but didn't look as though he was going to stop or reprimand them, even as they blatantly walked straight into another cinema. Warren shook his head and headed over to where their friends were crowded. Heidi was giving Zach a quick rundown on what had happened so far in the movie, her hands moving fast as he translated to the others.

"So, basically, the girl platypus is called Plati, the boy duck is called Bill, and the girl monkey is called Chimp? Chimp was kidnapped by space pirates who run a circus in space in order to steal from the people that attend, and Bill and Phil have to convince NASA to give them a rocket so they can go save Chimp?"

Heidi nodded firmly, grinning.

"This already sounds better than _28 Pays Later_," Craig said, settling back on his chair to watch the movie.

_Fifteen minutes later_...

"I don't even care how Chimp is juggling balls of fire, that's just awesome. Why don't you do that, Warren?" Zach asked, grinning brightly.

"Because I'm not an animated monkey being forced to participate in a circus in space," Warren replied.

"Semantics," Zach said, waving him off. Ethan covered his mouth again and Zach visibly deflated, his shoulders drooping low.

"Be quiet, I want to know how Plati's going to get Bill away from Captain Octopus."

Zach nodded and Ethan took his hand away again, patting Zach on the leg when he looked a little low.

"We'll talk about it afterwards, okay?"

"Okay," Zach replied, voice soft.

A sword fight between a seven-legged octopus (she lost one in a different fight, and had a peg leg replacement) and a platypus who could only use their tail as a shield was somewhat one-sided, but somehow Plati still managed to disarm the Captain and free both Bill and Chimp from the lower decks of the pirates' ship. Layla thought it was charmingly predictable to make the good guys win, if a little boring. Then Captain Octopus stood up on her seven legs and dove for Bill and Chimp (the monkey had become a favourite with the crowds, drawing in more people than her crew could pickpocket), wrapping her legs around them tightly and forcing Plati to choose.

Plati chose Chimp, Bill looked appropriately devastated for a duck, and Captain Octopus looked surprised but victorious after a moment. Then Chimp withdrew two swords that had been stolen while in the octopus' grasp, and Chimp and Plati worked together to free Bill. When Captain Octopus' was sushi, the three friends flew back home in the rocket ship Bill and Plati had stolen from NASA.

"I can't believe Plati chose Chimp!" Wendy said as they left the cinema after the usual post-credits musical.

"She knew that Chimp had the swords though; Bill wouldn't have been able to use them, even if he did get them! He's a duck!" Donny argued.

"Bill could've bitten his way free from Captain Octopus. He still had those razor-sharp teeth that one of the space pirates stole from that little old grandma," Adam pointed out.

"Heidi thinks the grandma was awesome," Zach said, grinning at his sister.

"I think I'd watch a sequel just about her," Lisa agreed.

"But then you won't find out what happens when Captain Octopus' first mate escapes the lion cage; they've got to go on from that!" Craig said. "You can't tell me that you don't want to know how the lion's going to go against that hedgehog?"

Layla was about to answer, Warren on his phone beside her, when they saw Larry leaving his cinema as well. They stopped to wait, no one wanting to admit they'd forgotten about him, and Larry hurried to catch up with them.

"The reviews were right; the ending for _28 Pays Later_ was so unexpected!" he exclaimed as soon as he was close enough to talk without yelling.

"What happened?" Ethan asked, curious but not burning with a need for knowledge, not like he usually did.

"You'll have to watch it to find out; I'm not going to spoil it," Larry replied.

Warren looked up from his phone. "The guy was a zombie all along; he was the first person that got bitten, but he just managed to last longer because he was under the influence and the virus mutated. And there's going to be a sequel with the grandmother," he added, looking to Heidi.

Heidi looked excited, signing something to her brother, and tugging on Lisa's sleeve.

"She's going to use the hedgehog as a pin cushion to get her pearl earrings back," Zach said.

"I think she'd be more concerned about her teeth first!" Lisa replied, laughing.

Heidi gave a shrug.

"How'd you know that about the movie?" Larry demanded of Warren, standing up as tall as he could.

"I read the reviews before I came here; one of them was a spoiler."

Larry looked like he wanted to power up right then and there. The cinema might not have been packed full of people, but there were still enough that causing a scene probably wasn't a good idea.

"Who's up for ice cream?" Layla offered.

Heidi waved enthusiastically, Zach barely a second behind her. Ethan just laughed and put his hand up as well, not waving quite as much. The others all joined in, Wendy keeping her hand low and probably trying not to look as though she knew them. Warren didn't bother raising his hand and just lead the way out of the cinema and towards the ice cream store on the corner.

Before they could go inside, Larry's phone started ringing loudly, and he answered his mother's call.

"The movie's just finished... We're going for ice cream... Oh, you are?" Larry answered, craning his head to look over Lisa's shoulder. "Oh, yeah... Uh, okay... Yes, I'll be right there," he said, hanging up and turning to the others. "My mum's here to pick me up, so I'll have to skip the ice cream."

Craig gave Larry a sympathetic slap on the back. "Maybe next time, yeah?"

"Yeah, maybe. See ya!" Larry called, hurrying off at a fast-paced walk to his mother's car.

"She could've got an ice cream and waited," Donny muttered. "What? You were all thinking it!"

"I wasn't! I was thinking about the ice cream I'm going to have," Lisa admitted a little guiltily.

Heidi just raised her hand as if to admit she'd thought it, and then went inside the ice cream store without an ounce of remorse. Zach held the door open for them all, and they trekked in, Lisa talking excitedly about the new flavours she wanted to try.

Layla smiled up at Warren and pressed a kiss to his cheek. After this, they would take everyone to the Hive, and things could really get started.

...

End of the thirty-fifth chapter.

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it.


End file.
